Delhi’s education system is walking a fine line between achievement and attrition. The latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25 report reveals a striking paradox: while the capital boasts near-universal primary enrolment and zero dropouts at the entry level, student retention collapses as children move up the ladder, with dropout rates spiking to 7.5% in secondary classes and gross enrolment plunging to just 83% in higher secondary.

The data highlights a critical challenge for Delhi—ensuring students not only enter the classroom but also remain until the end of their schooling.

On the surface, Delhi scores impressively. Of its 44.9 lakh enrolled students, nearly 96% are Aadhaar-linked, enabling tighter monitoring and service delivery. With only 5,556 schools, the capital accommodates some of the highest average enrolments per institution in India—over 800 students each—yet maintains a healthy pupil-teacher ratio of 28, well within Right to Education norms. At the senior level, ratios improve further to 20 students per teacher, underscoring concentrated teaching resources.

Infrastructure tells a similar story of adequacy, even advancement. Every school in Delhi reports electricity, drinking water, libraries, and internet connectivity. Over 5,500 institutions have ramps and toilets for children with special needs, and more than 5,100 operate rainwater harvesting systems. On the digital front, nearly all schools possess desktop facilities, though gaps emerge in smart classrooms and laptops, where private schools far outpace their government counterparts.

Yet, beneath this veneer of strength lies a sobering truth: retention erodes steadily with each transition. While gross enrolment ratios stand tall at 102 in primary and 117 in upper primary, they slide to 101 in secondary before collapsing in higher secondary. The enrolment share mirrors the decline—44.2% of students are in primary classes, but only 13.4% persist into senior school.

Social representation within enrolments also paints a layered picture. General category students dominate at 83.6%, while Scheduled Castes (9.5%), OBCs (6.4%), and Scheduled Tribes (0.5%) account for smaller shares. Muslim students form 14.5% of the total enrolled population.

The report ultimately frames Delhi’s schools as both stretched and resilient: institutions that juggle massive enrolments, uphold respectable teaching ratios, and expand digital infrastructure, but still stumble when it comes to the ultimate metric—whether students complete the journey from the first bell of primary school to the last exam of Class XII.