NITI Aayog Flags High School Dropouts, Poor Learning Outcomes and Rising Student Suicides

India’s education system continues to face deep structural challenges, with high secondary school dropout rates, weak learning outcomes and a worrying rise in student suicides, according to the latest 2026 report by NITI Aayog.

The report reveals that 11.5 per cent of students drop out before completing secondary education, making it the stage with the highest attrition across the schooling system. The dropout rate varies sharply between states — from just 2 per cent in Chandigarh to nearly 20 per cent in West Bengal — exposing major regional disparities in access and retention.

According to the report, poverty, child labour, social inequality and inadequate school support systems remain key factors pushing students out of classrooms. While states such as Odisha and Bihar have shown improvement through targeted interventions, the national picture continues to reflect systemic gaps in educational equity.

The report also highlights a persistent learning crisis in middle school education. National assessments, including NAS 2021 and PARAKH 2024, found that average mathematics scores among middle school students remain at only 37 per cent, while science scores are only marginally better. Students continue to struggle with reasoning, conceptual understanding and application-based learning, with experts blaming the overdependence on rote memorisation and fragmented school structures.

Only around 5 per cent of schools in India currently offer continuous education from Grades 1 to 12, disrupting learning continuity during crucial transition years.

The report further raises concern over student mental health. According to NCRB data cited in the study, student suicides touched a record 14,488 cases in 2024, marking a 4.3 per cent rise from the previous year even as overall suicide numbers declined slightly nationwide. Experts attributed the increase to academic pressure, untreated mental health conditions and the absence of adequate counselling systems in schools and colleges.

At the same time, the report points to reform models showing promising results. Bihar’s Project-Based Learning initiative for Grades 6 to 8 reportedly improved mathematics and science scores by more than eight percentage points between 2022 and 2024, while significantly improving classroom participation and teacher adoption.

NITI Aayog has recommended broader reforms, including composite schools, AI-assisted teaching systems, improved teacher training and stronger mental health support mechanisms to address the growing crisis in India’s education sector.