Assam Education Minister Refutes Claims of Student Decline
Minister Addresses Allegations on Student Enrollment
A file image of Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu (Photo: @ranojpeguassam/X)
Guwahati, July 6: On Monday, Assam's Education Minister Ranoj Pegu responded to accusations from Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi, who claimed that the state had seen a loss of 2,12,768 students in government schools over the last two years, and a staggering 25,67,793 students from 2021-22 to 2024-25.
Pegu labeled these assertions as misleading, explaining that the decrease in student numbers is primarily due to demographic shifts and the ongoing process of data verification.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assam Legislative Assembly, he noted that while national enrollment had dropped by 4.4%, Assam's decline was slightly less at 4.1%.
He elaborated, "The UDISE database previously included numerous ghost students. Over the past three years, we have been rectifying this, resulting in the removal of around three lakh student names that lacked proper verification."
Pegu emphasized that the 4.1% decline in enrollment aligns with national demographic trends, rather than indicating any failure of government policy. He added that the ongoing updates to the UDISE data are yielding more precise statistics.
He dismissed the claim of losing 25 lakh students as "absurd," stating, “Assam has approximately 50 lakh students. A loss of 25 lakh would equate to a 50% drop, which is simply unrealistic.”
The minister attributed much of the enrollment decline in lower grades to Assam's decreasing Total Fertility Rate, which has now fallen below the national average.
Referencing data from the National Family Health Survey, he pointed out that India's Total Fertility Rate was 3.4 at the start of the survey, compared to Assam's 3.5. Both figures have since decreased, with India's rate now around 2.0 and Assam's at 1.9.
Pegu argued that this demographic shift has directly impacted the number of children entering schools.
“Due to this demographic trend, we have seen a decline in enrollment at pre-primary and primary levels. The 2.12 lakh reduction primarily affects these classes,” he stated.
Interestingly, he noted that enrollment at the secondary level, which includes Classes IX to XII, has actually increased by about 10,000 students, despite a national decline of 0.6% in secondary enrollment.
In fact, Assam's secondary enrollment grew by 0.9% during the same timeframe, a trend he attributed to increasing public confidence in the state's educational system.
Finally, Pegu refuted claims regarding the closure of numerous schools, clarifying that only a limited number had been merged as part of the government's rationalization efforts, and that Assam continues to maintain around 44,000 schools.