Primary class dropouts: Rajasthan among top 3

The district-wise classification of the data also revealed that maximum dropouts were reported in Rajasthan's Dausa with 8.68% followed by Sawai Madhopur district with 8.64%

- Senjuti Sengupta

JAIPUR: Rajasthan is among the top three states in India that witnessed the maximum dropouts in the primary school level during the 2023-24 session, a data submitted by the education ministry in the Parliament stated.

In response to a question by the Churu MP Rahul Kaswan on Monday, the ministry replied that the maximum primary school dropouts in 2023-24 was recorded in Bihar 13.7% followed by Meghalaya 9.7%, and Rajasthan 7.1% of which 7.5% are boys while 6.6% are girls.

While 13.8% boys have dropped out in Bihar against 13.6% of girls, the corresponding figures for Meghalaya are 10.5% and 8.8% respectively, data stated. Of the other states that recorded more than 5% of dropouts at the primary education level are Assam with 6.8% and Uttar Pradesh with 5.4%.

The district-wise classification of the data also revealed that maximum dropouts were reported in Rajasthan's Dausa with 8.68% followed by Sawai Madhopur district with 8.64%, Baran with 8.24%, Sikar 7.40%, and Jhunjhunu 7.24% indicating a significant tendency of dropping out in the Shekhawati and Eastern region of the state.

"Some of the reasons as identified for out of school children, including dropouts, are poverty, poor health of the child, child too young to be attending school and the fact that the parents need child's help in domestic work etc," the MoE stated in its reply.