Almost 8,000 schools across India recorded zero student enrollment during the academic session 2024-25, and yet nearly 20,817 teachers remain employed in those institutions, according to official data released by the Ministry of Education.
The data show that 7,993 schools had no students enrolled, down from 12,954 in the previous year. Among states, West Bengal accounted for the largest share, with 3,812 schools having zero enrolment and 17,965 teachers employed in them. The next highest numbers were in Telangana with 2,245 such schools (and 1,016 teachers) and Madhya Pradesh with 463 schools (and 223 teachers).
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In contrast, several states and union territories had no schools with zero enrollment, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura; likewise, the union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Chandigarh also reported none. The ministry noted that because school education falls under state jurisdiction, states have been advised to address “zero-enrolment” schools, and some states have already begun merging such schools to optimise infrastructure and staffing.
