Beyond shala praveshotsav: Gujarat’s lag in enrolling children remains high

By Jag Jivan
Another three-day Gujarat government-sponsored Shala Praveshotsav, a “festival” involving the entire state officialdom, starting with the Gujarat chief minister, meant to enroll children at the primary level, has come to an end. An official release at the end of the festival claimed, “The state-wide enrollment drive gained great momentum under the leadership of chief minister Narendra Modi, who himself graced the mahotsav in Mendarada block of Chiroda, Samadhiyala and Rajesar primary school at Junagadh district.”
The official release claimed, on the third day, a total of 1,56,884 children in the age group 5+ years were enrolled, comprising 76,802 girls and 80,082 boys. It added, “Thus, in the three days of the enrollment drive, a total of 4,80,556 children consisting of 2,35,263 girls and 2,45,293 boys have been enrolled. Saying that ministers, “IAS, IPS and IFS officers of the state attended programmes at various backward blocks of Gujarat” for the festival, the release sought to celebrate “the festive spirit” amidst “joyous atmosphere in every village and town.”
Asserting that the total enrollment would near cent per cent, the release sought to describe the “festive atmosphere” in the following words: “Eligible children, dressed for the occasion, were taken to schools, where they were greeted with warm welcome by teachers, members school management committee (SMC) and other villagers. Welcomed with tilak on the forehead, the children were given sweets. Efforts were made to make them feel that a school is a place for fun and enjoyment. Enthusiastic participation was being reported from everywhere.”
This is not for the first time that such official releases are issued at the end of the Shala Praveshotsav, which suggest gross enrollment ratio. However, beyond the din of the festival, no efforts have been made to analyze what has been the net enrollment ratio, which would suggest the actual number of children who finally continue attending school. Nor are there any efforts suggesting the reason for those who fail to attend school. Without scrutinizing this, any effort to project enrollment as a festive occasion which could achieve wonders in three days has little meaning.
The latest National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) report, “Status of Education and Vocational Training in India”, brought out by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation in March 2013, suggests that these festivals have had little impact on the net enrollment of children. The sample survey suggests that Gujarat has far to go to ensure that those who enroll themselves at the primary level continue attending school, thus belying huge claims about successes in primary education. The situation is found to be bad both for boys and girls.
Gujarat’s net attendance ratio in rural areas at the primary level for the age-group 6-10 was found to be 73 per cent – 75 per cent for females and 72 per cent for males. One of the worst in India, whose average is 78 per cent, all states except Bihar (63 per cent) and Jharkhand (63 per cent), show a better performance than Gujarat. At the middle level, in the age-group 11-13, Gujarat’s net attendance ratio comes down to 51 per cent; in the age group 14-15 (secondary level), it is 40 per cent, and in the age-group 16-17 (higher secondary) it is a pathetic 21 per cent.
The situation is not rosy for the state’s urban areas as well. At 76 per cent (78 per cent for males and 72 per cent for females), the net enrolment ratio in the age-group 6-10 (primary) was lower than the all-India average of 78 per cent, with all except Bihar and Jharkhand showing a better performance. As one moves up, the percentage of attendance goes down – it 61 per cent in the age-group 11-13 (middle), 45 per cent in the age group 14-15 (secondary), and 42 per cent in the age-group 16-17 (higher secondary).
The NSS goes beyond this, and tries to find out reasons as to why children refuse to attend an educational institution. Taking an opinion from the age-group 5-29, as many as 45.8 per cent of the females (both rural and urban) said that they could not attend school because they had to attend to domestic chores, while another 18.2 per cent said they did not consider education as “necessary”. Further, a whopping 56.6 per cent of the males (both rural and urban) said they could not attend an educational institute because they should “supplement” household income.

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Big promises, limited delivery? Rekha Gupta's first year as Delhi CM

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* Delhi has witnessed women at the helm before, each leaving behind a distinct political and administrative imprint on the national capital. From diplomacy to development, the city's past female chief ministers shaped governance in their own ways. As Rekha Gupta completes one year in office, the question arises: has her tenure lived up to her ambitious promises? After her first year, Gupta appears to have made tall claims but delivered little since taking the oath of office. Despite coming from a background in student politics, her report card as Delhi chief minister is far from impressive. She seems to understand the nuances of politics, yet she is often seen generating considerable buzz without substantial delivery on the ground.

Search This Blog