NEW DELHI, August 3 — A new report released by NITI Aayog has highlighted that approximately 94,000 government primary schools across India were merged or closed over the last decade under state-level school rationalization programs.
The report details that the mergers were conducted to address low student enrollment, optimize teacher placement, and improve infrastructural resources in consolidated schools. States like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan accounted for a significant share of these consolidations.
Education activists have raised concerns that closing local schools may increase travel distances for children in rural and tribal areas, potentially impacting primary education access and enrollment rates.
Reports from think tanks like NITI Aayog are frequently featured in GS and current affairs sections of competitive exams. Candidates should note that NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was established on January 1, 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.