Concrete efforts undertaken to increase enrolment and reduce dropout rates in schools

Bhopal: School Education and Transport Minister Shri Uday Pratap Singh stated that all facilities provided by the state government to students during the current academic session have been delivered on time. He informed that for the first time, the School Education Department started the ‘Praveshotsav’ campaign in the first week of April. The participation of public representatives was commendable. Admission procedures in classes 1, 6 and 9 have been simplified, with headmasters made responsible for admissions in class 6 and principals of secondary schools for admissions in class 9. Minister Shri Singh  addressed a press conference focused on ‘Two Years of Development and Service’ at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Center in Bhopal on Monday. Senior officials of the School Education and Transport Departments were also present.

Academic progress and enrolment

Minister Shri Singh informed that admission enrolment in class 1 during 2025–26 has increased by 19.6 per cent overall and by 32.4 per cent in government schools compared to the previous year. To ensure that teaching begins as soon as the academic session starts, the results of board-pattern examinations for classes 5 and 8 were declared in March. He informed that fee reimbursement for over 8.5 lakh eligible private school students under government schemes has been done completely online and transparently. Over the last three years, dropout rates have decreased at all levels. At the primary level, the dropout rate fell from 6.8 per cent in 2024–25 to zero. Using Samagra IDs, tracking of 90 per cent of children has been completed.

Incentives and support schemes

Minister Shri Singh stated that free textbooks were distributed to students in a timely manner, with significant and ensured improvement in the quality of printing. A total of 94,300 meritorious students received laptops, and 7,800 students were given scooters. For the first time, bicycles were distributed as early as August, and from the next academic session, distribution of bicycles to eligible students will be completed by April 2026. Scholarships, uniforms, hostel support and funds for girls’ sanitation and hygiene were transferred through DBT to students of government schools. He stated that Madhya Pradesh is the country’s third-largest state and the first large state to send its proposal for the third instalment of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to the central government. For the first time, the arrangement for guest teachers was completed by 1 July, with 76,325 guest teachers currently working. More than 20,000 surplus teachers in government schools have been transferred to schools facing teacher shortages.

Notable achievements in school education

 About 80 per cent of regular teachers and 96 per cent of guest teachers are being recorded on the ‘Hamare Shikshak’ geo-tag–based App, which will also include leave management and grievance redressal from 1 January 2026.

 Eighteen district-level institutes and training institutes are being developed as centres of excellence.

 From the next academic year, hostel management and admissions will be fully online through dedicated software.

 For the first time, districts have been allocated funds specifically for government school building repairs, water and electricity supply.

 By next year, all government high schools, higher secondary and middle schools will be equipped with furniture.

 A plan has been prepared to develop 275 Sandipani and 799 PM Shri schools in line with the National Education Policy. Of the 275 Sandipani schools, 79 buildings are complete and work on 126 more is targeted for completion by March 2026.

 Currently, 3,367 schools offer vocational education, with agriculture streams started in 690 schools in recent years and total enrolment in vocational courses reaching 6 lakh students.

 In 2024–25, the class 10 board pass percentage increased from 56 per cent to 76.22 per cent (about 20 percentage points), and the class 12 pass percentage rose from 63 per cent to 74.56 per cent (an increase of 12 percentage points). After the second board examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, final pass percentages reached 87.52 per cent for class 10 and 82.53 per cent for class 12.

 For the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, task force meetings are being held regularly, and 49 textbooks have been published in Hindi and local languages and supplied to schools in 89 tribal development blocks.

 An end-to-end online portal for recognition, inspection and appeal processes for private schools will be launched this year. He informed that a 20-storey office building has been proposed to accommodate all offices of the School Education Department in a single integrated complex.

Transport Department achievements

Transport Minister Shri Uday Pratap Singh also detailed the Transport Department’s achievements. He said that to simplify departmental procedures and facilitate citizens, services such as vehicle permits and driving licences are being provided through online portals so that all department services are available in a faceless mode, making Madhya Pradesh the first state in the country to do so. MP Online centres have also been authorised to assist citizens in applying; more than 1.25 lakh service centres across the state are now providing transport-related services.

Key Acievements

 Formation of a Regional Transport Authority under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) to resolve issues related to passenger bus permits.

 Provision of full exemption from motor vehicle tax for electric vehicles to promote e-mobility.

 A 1 per cent tax rebate for CNG vehicles.

 Provision of 50 per cent tax exemption on new vehicles purchased against the scrapping of old vehicles.

 Decision to establish three-tier driving training centres at the state, divisional and district levels.

 Operation of 16 automated testing stations in Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Satna, Singrauli, Ujjain and Dewas districts to conduct human-intervention–free, transparent fitness tests of vehicles.

 Under the Road Transport Act 1950, private bus operators operate public transport buses on approved routes with permitted timetables, monitored by Transport Department officers and traffic police.

 Establishment of a state-level holding company named Madhya Pradesh Passenger Transport and Infrastructure Limited, with identification and notification of routes within a 50–60 km radius of Indore city underway under the first phase of a bus scheme.

 Proposal to establish an Intelligent Transport Management System for smooth, centralised monitoring of all buses operating in the state.