Gujarat has been placed in the Education Ministry’s red zone after recording a secondary school dropout rate of 15.7 per cent, well above the national average of 9.5 per cent, according to the latest UDISE+ 2025-26 data.
The data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus show that more than 15 of every 100 students in the state drop out by the time they reach secondary school. Enrolment figures in secondary and higher secondary schools remain below the national average.
Gujarat continues to run the Shala Praveshotsav enrolment programme, which has been active for over two decades. Despite this effort, the age-specific enrolment rate in the state is also lower than the national figure.
The report highlights that the state has struggled to retain students once they progress beyond primary levels.
