India parliamentary panel flags student dropout

The India — Estimates Committee of the Eighteenth India — Lok Sabha presented its Tenth Report (2026-27) to the India — Lok Sabha on August 12, 2026, on 'Budget and Policy aspects for providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of India — Central Board of Secondary Education'. The committee flagged a drastic decline in the number of schools and students as education level rises, noting that nearly 73% of students drop out before finishing higher secondary. According to UDISE 2024-25 data, out of over 1 million government schools, the vast majority are primary schools, with only 90,866 higher secondary schools. The committee urged the Ministry of Education to prioritize upgrading existing primary and secondary schools into full higher secondary schools and to increase the number of secondary and higher secondary schools. It also flagged a severe gap in CwSN-friendly infrastructure, noting that more than half of schools lack such facilities, and highlighted poor budget utilization for CwSN toilets and special educators. The committee recommended the Ministry adhere to yearly targets for budget utilization and complete recruitment of special educators.