Odisha’s Class 10 Dropout Rate at 50% is Highest in the Country

New Delhi: While the average class 10 dropout rate in India in the academic year 2021-22 was 20.6 per cent, Odisha recorded the highest dropout rate of 49.9 per cent.

Answering a question put by DMK MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned that Odisha recorded a 49.9 per cent dropout rate, while Bihar in second place had a 42.1 per cent dropout rate in Class 10.

Apart from Odisha and Bihar, the other states with high dropouts are Meghalaya (33.5%), Karnataka (28.5%), Andhra Pradesh and Assam with 28.3% each, Gujarat (28.2%), and Telangana (27.4%).

Odisha has had a downward trend, with its dropout rate rising from 12.8 per cent to 49.9 per cent in 2018-19 to 2021-2022.

Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Manipur (no dropouts), Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi were among the states with dropout rates under 10 per cent.

Pradhan said approximately 3.5 million students discontinue their education after Class 10. Out of 1,89,90,809 students who appeared for the Class 10 examination 2022, around 29,56,138 students did not pursue education in the next higher class.