18,727 Govt Schools Closed In Last Five Years, 8,475 New Pvt Schools Opened: Rajya Sabha

A total of 18,727 government schools were shut down over the last five years, while private unaided schools increased by 8,475 in just one year, as per the data released by the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha.

The information came in response to an Unstarred Question (No. 533) raised by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on February 4, 2026. Brittas asked the Ministry of Education to provide details on the total number of government and private schools currently functioning in the country, state-wise data, the number of government schools closed over the past five years, the number of private schools opened during the same period, and enrolment figures of students in government schools at the time of their closure, including zero-enrolment schools.

Responding on behalf of the government, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary stated that education falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, and therefore decisions regarding the opening, closure, and rationalisation of schools lie within the jurisdiction of state governments and Union Territory administrations.

Across India, the number of government schools has steadily declined from 10,32,019 in 2020–21 to 10,13,322 in 2024–25, showing a net reduction of nearly 18,700 schools over five years.

During the same period, private unaided schools fell sharply from 3,40,753 in 2020–21 to 3,25,430 in 2022–23 before recovering somewhat to 3,39,983 in 2024–25, though the figure still remains slightly below pre-2021 levels.