Published Aug 26, 2026 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 26, 2026 | 11:00 AM
Jagan Mohan Reddy
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has challenged the TDP-led coalition government’s claim that more than 1.10 lakh students shifted from private schools to government schools, citing UDISE+ data.
According to these annual reports of the Unified District Information System for School Education (UDISE+), Ministry of Education, Government of India, a clear pattern emerges between 2023-24 and 2025-26: enrolment in government and government-aided schools has declined, while private-school enrolment has increased.
The UDISE+ data, however, does not seem to support the current government’s claim that 1.10 lakh students shifted from private to government schools.
Number of Government and Government-Aided Schools
Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, the number of government schools has fallen from 45,000 to 44,222, and government-aided schools declined from 991 to 797.
Enrolment in government schools, in fact, fell from 40,50,116 to 34,93,450 students, a decline of 5,56,666 students.
Table: Enrolment of Students by Level, Government Schools
Source: UDISE+
In the same period, enrolment in private unaided recognised schools has increased from 4,553,380 to 4,840,296, an addition of nearly 2.87 lakh students.
Enrolment data of girl students also shows the same trend: government-school enrolment of girls has fallen while private unaided recognised schools have recorded an increase.
The decline in enrolment in government schools is compounded by shrinking budgetary allocation.
In the 2026-27 state budget, education received 11.7 per cent of total expenditure—below the average allocation of 14.5 per cent made by states in 2025-26.
Table: Spending on Education as % of total expenditure Source: PRSindia Budget Analysis
Except for the COVID year of 2020-21, allocation to education as a percentage of total expenditure under Jagan’s YSRCP government remained higher than that made under the current ruling TDP government, indicating a shift in fiscal priorities.
Between 2019 and 2024, the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government had invested in public-school infrastructure through Mana Badi – Nadu Nedu, upgraded digital facilities, and provided tablets, smart TVs, and interactive flat panels in classrooms.
The earlier government also introduced TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IB (International Baccalaureate) into the curriculum, and expanded support schemes such as Amma Vodi and Jagananna Gorumudda.
Those measures were aimed at raising enrolment and retention. The latest UDISE+ figures suggest that this trajectory may be reversing, raising questions about the Andhra Pradesh government’s education priorities.
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