Kendriya Vidyalaya admissions fall, lowest in five years

New admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) have fallen to the five-year low, revealed numbers put in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Numbers presented by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to MPs BK Parthasarathi and Sudha R were new entries, 1.95 lakh in 2020-21, dropped to 1.83 lakh in 2021-22 and then to 1.58 lakh in 2022-23.Although it increased to 1.75 lakh in 2023–2024, it dropped to a pathetic 1.39 lakh during the current academic year (2024–25).

The overall number of pupils registered in India's 1,280 Kendriya Vidyalayas fell from 13.88 lakh in 2020–21 to 13.5 lakh this year throughout this period.

Originally established for the children of transferable central government officers, Kendriya Vidyalaya is one of India's most renowned government schools.

Incidentally, falling enrollment continues to be the Centre's bane as it approved, in December 2023, the establishment of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas. The schools, along with an extension to one already existing KV at Shivamogga, Karnataka, will come up at a cost of almost ?5,872 crore.

Budgetary spending to KVS, however, continued to increase; the estimates rose from ?6,437.68 crore in 2020-21 to ?8,727 crore in 2024-25.

Union Education Ministry also issued a caution recently regarding falling admissions in government schools in general. Previously, while deliberating on the PM-POSHAN (midday meal) scheme in this year, States and Union Territories were requested to inquire into the cause of falling enrollment at the primary and upper-primary level in 23 subjects and submit a comprehensive report.