Govt schools lose nearly 5 lakh students in three years
Statistics from the department of school education and literacy Monday revealed that admissions in state-run primary and high schools have dropped considerably over the past three academic years.
Referring to the data, ML Anil Kumar of Congress said student enrolment had fallen by 4.7 lakh. "While student enrolment during 2022-23 was at 45.4 lakh, it reduced to 42.9 lakh. The same numbers during 2024-25 plummeted to 40.7 lakh," Kumar said.
You Can Also Check:
Bengaluru AQI
|
Weather in Bengaluru
|
Bank Holidays in Bengaluru
|
Public Holidays in Bengaluru
|
Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru
|
Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru
School education and literacy minister Madhu Bangarappa told the House the govt was aware of the problem and was taking steps to reverse the trend.
"One of the major issues that affects enrolment is the absence of pre-primary sections in govt schools," Bangarappa said.
"We have now started about 5,000 LKG-UKG classes besides introducing bilingual education. We are hopeful that these measures will help draw more students to govt schools."
Bangarappa said Karnataka Public Schools — which provide continuous schooling from kindergarten to pre-university — were intended to boost enrolments. "The govt has been setting up these schools in rural areas on priority," he said.
Official data tabled during the discussion revealed several proposals to close state-run high schools.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
However, Bangarappa insisted that the govt will not shut any school due to poor enrolment.
"We have received proposals to shut schools with very low student strength. But we have not closed a single primary school on grounds of poor admissions. I assure the House that we will not close any such schools in the future either," he said.
However, contradicting the minister's remarks, a high school at Hulikal, Tumakuru district, was shut down in 2023-24 due to inadequate student numbers.
Bangarappa also said the govt will complete recruitment of teachers in Kalyana Karnataka region within four months of publication of internal reservation quota. Replying to a calling attention by BJP's CT Ravi in the legislative council, Bangarappa said there are 16,577 teacher posts vacant in govt primary schools in the Kalyana Karnataka and more than 33,527 vacancies in other parts of the state. The govt had authorised filling of 4,882 posts, but the process was suspended due to pending internal reservation issues.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
YouTuber booked in Ghaziabad for derogatory remarks against Mayawati
Ghaziabad (UP): Police in Ghaziabad have registered a case against a YouTuber for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on social media, officials said on Thursday. According to police sources, BSP district president Narendra Mohit on Wednesday evening lodged an FIR against YouTuber Punit Superstar, whose real name is Prakash Kumar, at the Shalimar Garden police station. The complainant alleged that the YouTuber posted a video on Instagram containing insulting remarks about the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Women Ever Today's NYC DCP Nimish Patil said the video soon went viral, allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Bahujan community. Police are probing the matter after registering a case against the accused, the officer said.
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Is the Caspian Sea shrinking? Azerbaijan raises alarm as major part of its economy could face the brunt
The Caspian Sea , which is the biggest body of water in the world that is not connected to the ocean, is shrinking very quickly. Azerbaijan is sounding the alarm as falling sea levels start to cause problems at ports, threaten oil shipments, and put unique wildlife at risk. Officials say that if the decline isn't stopped, it could have serious effects on the economy and the environment. How serious is the decline in sea levels? According to Azerbaijani officials, the Caspian Sea's level is dropping quickly, which is having an impact on ports and oil shipments and could cause catastrophic harm to sturgeon and seal populations, as per a report by Reuters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Owe the IRS? New Tax Bill Could Make Things Worse - See If You Qualify for Tax Relief Forbes Learn More Undo Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan are the five nations that border the Caspian, the largest salt lake in the world, which contains substantial offshore oil reserves. ALSO READ: Who was faith leader James Dobson — the man who shaped American evangelicals, dies at 89 Live Events Rauf Hajiyev, the deputy minister of ecology for Azerbaijan, told Reuters that although the sea had been becoming shallower for decades, statistics indicated that the trend was quickening, as per a report by Reuters. In an interview, he estimated that the current rate of decline is 20-30 cm per year, noting that its level has dropped by 0.93 meters (3 feet) in the last five years, 1.5 meters in the last ten, and 2.5 meters in the last thirty. As the representative of Azerbaijan in a joint working group with Russia that convened for the first time in April to discuss the issue, Hajiyev stated, "The retreat of the coastline changes natural conditions, disrupts economic activity and creates new challenges for sustainable development," as per a report by Reuters. Notwithstanding the deteriorating ties between the two nations, the working group intends to approve a joint online program for monitoring and responding to the issue in September in accordance with the protocol that was signed between them. Russia primarily attributes the issue to climate change, but Azerbaijan also points the finger at Russia for building dams on the Volga River, which supplies 80% of the water that enters the Caspian. According to Hajiyev, the lives of people living along the coast and the operations of ports are already being impacted by the declining water level. There are roughly 15 million people living in the Caspian region overall, and 4 million on the Azerbaijani coast, as per a report by Reuters. According to him, ships are having more trouble maneuvering and entering the port of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. He added that this is increasing logistics costs and decreasing cargo capacity. What is the impact on ports and oil shipments? According to Baku International Sea Port director Eldar Salakhov, the amount of oil and oil product transported through the Dubendi oil terminal, the biggest in Azerbaijani waters of the Caspian Sea, decreased from 880,000 tons in the first half of 2025 to 810,000 tons in the same period last year. He attributed the decrease to the dropping water level, which he claimed was necessitating significant dredging in order to maintain steady and continuous port operations. To guarantee that the biggest tankers could enter the Dubendi oil terminal without any problems, more than 250,000 cubic meters of dredging were done there in 2024, he told Reuters. The Engineer Soltan Kazimov, a new dredging vessel that will soon go into service, was completed in April at the Baku Shipyard. In order to help preserve the port's capacity, Salakhov stated that it would be able to deepen the bottom to 18 meters. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 is coming—here are 5 fresh features that could make you upgrade fast Which wildlife species are most at risk? The deputy minister, Hajiyev, claimed that the retreat of the waters was endangering the survival of certain marine species and destroying reed beds, lagoons, and wetlands. The greatest setback is to sturgeon, which are already in danger of going extinct and are valued for their caviar. In addition to being isolated from their customary spawning grounds in rivers, they are losing up to 45% of their summer and fall habitats, as per a report by Reuters. He also noted that the declining sea area and the loss of seasonal ice fields in the north, where caspian seals breed, pose a threat to the species. FAQs How quickly is the Caspian Sea getting smaller? In the last five years, the sea level has dropped by 0.93 meters, or 20 to 30 centimeters each year. How does this affect Azerbaijan? Baku and other ports have higher shipping costs, oil shipments are going down, and marine animals like seals and sturgeon are in danger.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Liquor scam: Marandi slams ACB probe, seeks CBI investigation
Ranchi: State BJP president Babulal Marandi on Thursday said he was concerned over the attempts being made by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to weaken the Rs 38 crore liquor scam case in Jharkhand. Terming the ACB arrests as sham, he reiterated his demand for a CBI probe to conduct an impartial investigation in the case. Days after former excise secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey and two others were granted bail after the ACB failed to file a charge sheet within 90 days, Marandi wrote to chief minister Hemant Soren saying that his suspicions that the arrests were merely an attempt to deceive the public and protect the key conspirators were proving to be true. Criticising the ACB for failing to file a charge sheet in the case, the former CM claimed that the agency did not record the statements of the accused during questioning, allowing the investigating officers to record statements as they see fit, potentially implicating or exonerating individuals at will. "I have come to know that the interrogation of none of the arrested officers has been recorded so that the investigating officer can record the statement that suits him, trap whoever he wants, and save whoever he wants," the letter said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is crazy about it Undo Questioning Soren's role in the scam, Marandi said he should act against the officers without delay. Reacting to the claims, spokesperson and general secretary of JMM, Supriyo Bhattacharya, said that he would not like to comment on the letter since he has not read it. "Let me read it first and then I will comment on it tomorrow," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
