Over 93,000 schools have closed across India in the past decade, with the majority shutting between 2014 and 2020. Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary shared this data in the Lok Sabha on Monday in response to a question.
The period from 2014-15 to 2019-20 saw over 70,000 school closures. This represents the highest number of closures recorded. An additional 18,727 schools were closed between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
States With Most Closures
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of school closures during the initial six-year period. The state shut down 24,590 schools from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Madhya Pradesh followed with 22,438 closures during the same timeframe.
Analysis of the data reveals that Madhya Pradesh and Odisha experienced the most school closures across both reported periods. Jharkhand saw over 5,000 closures between 2014-15 and 2019-20. Rajasthan closed over 2,500 schools, and Maharashtra shut approximately 2,000.
Punjab, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal each reported around 1,000 school closures from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Bihar closed 1,681 schools.
Closures Between 2020-2025
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Jammu and Kashmir reported 4,382 school closures. This was the second-highest figure after Madhya Pradesh, which closed 6,902 schools in this period.
West Bengal saw over 1,200 school closures during the more recent period. Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh each closed over 600 schools. Odisha closed 1,631 schools.
Activists have criticized the school closures, calling them “anti-education.” They suggest these closures could further marginalize vulnerable students and potentially increase dropout rates.
The government has faced criticism regarding the extent of these shutdowns. However, some states, including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have previously denied the reported scale of closures.