
In Odisha, dropout rates are concerning as 10th-grade students are leaving their study im between, and the Ministry of Education in India, Dharmendra Pradhan, highlights this issue. He mentions that, as of 2021-22, 20.6% of 10th-grade students in India discontinue their education, and Odisha and Bihar witness the highest increase in dropout rates. Odisha sees a rise from 39.4% to 49.9%, while Bihar experiences an increase from 41.6% to 42.1%.
The Education Minister states that the government relies on research conducted by the Ministry of Education, revealing that around 3.5 million students drop out of the 10th grade annually. In the academic year 2022, out of 189,908,809 10th-grade students, approximately 29,561,38 had dropped out.
While Maharashtra and Goa show an increase in the number of middle school dropouts, other states and centrally governed regions witness a decline. In India, the dropout rate for the 10th grade was 20.6% in 2021-22, down from 28.4% in 2018-19. The current dropout rate has been consistent at 21%.
Odisha records the highest dropout rate at 49.9%, followed by Bihar at 42.1%. Other states’ rates are Meghalaya at 33.5%, Karnataka at 28.5%, Andhra Pradesh at 28.3%, Assam at 28.3%, Gujarat at 28.2%, and Telangana at 27.4%.