NITI Aayog ने स्कूल शिक्षा प्रणाली पर रिपोर्ट जारी की – दशकीय विश्लेषण एवं नीति रोडमैप (May 2026)

<p><strong>Overview:</strong> On <strong>6 May 2026</strong>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="NITI Aayog — the premier policy think‑tank of the Government of India, responsible for strategic planning and monitoring of development programmes (GS2: Polity)">NITI Aayog</span> Vice‑Chairman <strong>Shri Suman Bery</strong> and CEO <strong>Smt. Nidhi Chhibber</strong> released a comprehensive policy report titled <strong>‘School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement’</strong>. The document analyses a decade of data on access, infrastructure, equity, digital integration and learning outcomes across all 36 States and Union Territories.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>India now has <strong>14.71 lakh schools</strong> serving over <strong>24.69 crore students</strong>, the world’s largest school system.</li> <li>Significant gains in school infrastructure – electricity, functional sanitation and inclusive facilities – are highlighted through heat‑maps.</li> <li>Digital learning ecosystem expanded: more computers, internet connectivity and smart classrooms.</li> <li>Equity improvements noted in girls’ participation and enrolment of SC/ST students at all stages.</li> <li>Learning outcomes show recovery post‑pandemic, especially in foundational literacy and numeracy, aided by <span class="key-term" data-definition="NEP 2020 — National Education Policy 2020, the overarching framework for school and higher education reforms in India (GS3: Economy)">NEP 2020</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="NIPUN Bharat Mission — National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy, a scheme to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026‑27 (GS3: Economy)">NIPUN Bharat Mission</span> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan — a centrally sponsored scheme integrating elementary, secondary and upper‑secondary education for holistic development (GS3: Economy)">Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan</span>.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <p>The analysis draws on secondary data from <span class="key-term" data-definition="UDISE+ — Unified District Information System for Education, a database that captures school‑level statistics on enrolment, infrastructure and outcomes (GS3: Economy)">UDISE+</span> 2024‑25, <span class="key-term" data-definition="PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan — a national survey assessing school quality and learning outcomes (GS3: Economy)">PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan</span> 2024, National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017 & 2021, and <span class="key-term" data-definition="ASER — Annual Status of Education Report, an independent assessment of learning levels in rural India (GS3: Economy)">ASER</span> 2024. The report identifies 11 systemic challenges and proposes 13 recommendations, split into 8 systemic and 5 academic reforms.</p> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>Understanding this report is crucial for GS II (Education) and GS III (Economy) questi