Key Findings from the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education (CMS: E), 2025

Enrollment Trends in Government Schools

The survey reveals a decline in enrollment in government schools across both rural and urban areas from the last seven years.

• In rural areas, only 58.9% of higher secondary students attended government schools in 2025, down from 68% in 2017-18.
• In urban areas, the percentage decreased from 38.9% in 2017-18 to 36.4% in 2025.

Schooling Levels Analysis

The trend of declining enrollment in government schools is observed across different schooling levels.

• Rural Areas:
   
  • Primary: 66.5% in 2025 vs 73.7% in 2017-18.
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  • Middle: 69.3% in 2025 vs 76.1% in 2017-18.
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  • Secondary: 65% in 2025 vs 68% in 2017-18.
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• Urban Areas:
   
  • Primary: 27.2% in 2025 vs 30.9% in 2017-18.
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  • Middle: 29.8% in 2025 vs 38% in 2017-18.
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  • Secondary: 35.8% in 2025 vs 38.9% in 2017-18.
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Pre-Primary Education

There is an increase in government school enrollment for pre-primary education due to the inclusion of anganwadi centres.

• Rural: Increased to 65.6% from 44.2% in 2017-18.
• Urban: Increased to 24.1% from 13.9% in 2017-18.

Expenditure on Education

The survey highlights the disparity in education expenses between government and private schools.

• Rural Areas:
   
  • Government schools: ₹2,639 per student.
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  • Non-government schools: ₹19,554 per student.
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• Urban Areas:
   
  • Government schools: ₹4,128 per student.
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  • Non-government schools: ₹31,782 per student.
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Private Coaching

• Approximately 27% of students took private coaching, more common in urban (30.7%) than rural areas (25.5%).
• Average expenditure on private coaching:
   
  • Rural: ₹1,793 per student, higher secondary students ₹4,548.
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  • Urban: ₹3,988 per student, higher secondary students ₹9,950.
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Survey Details

The CMS: E is part of the 80th round of the NSS focused solely on school education.

• Conducted in 2,384 villages and 1,982 urban blocks.
• Covered 52,085 households and 221,617 students.
• Education details collected for 57,742 students currently enrolled in schools.