Delhi has emerged as one of India’s most efficient school education systems, with nearly half of its schools functioning as high-capacity “mega schools”, no school operating without students, and every recognised campus equipped with essential facilities, according to the latest UDISE+ report released by the Ministry of Education.
High Enrolment and Zero Ghost Schools
With 5,643 recognised schools, Delhi caters to 44.45 lakh students through 1.61 lakh teachers, recording an average enrolment of 788 students per school, one of the highest in the country. The report shows that 47.1 percent of Delhi’s schools have more than 500 students, highlighting the Capital’s successful high-density “Mega-School” model.
One of the report’s most significant findings is Delhi’s complete elimination of “ghost schools”. It states that “exactly zero schools operate with zero student enrolment in Delhi”, while only seven schools function with a single teacher, together serving just 529 students. This helps the Capital maintain a Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 28, in line with the Right to Education norms.
100% Basic Infrastructure and Sustainability
The report also underscores Delhi’s strong school infrastructure. Every recognised school has functional electricity, drinking water, handwash facilities, Internet connectivity and playgrounds, giving the Capital 100 per cent compliance in basic utilities.
Delhi is also strengthening sustainable infrastructure, with 1,920 schools fitted with solar panels and 94.9 per cent (5,359 schools) equipped with rainwater harvesting systems. Nearly every campus is accessible to children with special needs (CWSN), with 5,641 schools having ramps and 5,642 maintaining accessible CWSN toilets.
These achievements place Delhi in the ‘Prachesta-1’ category of the Performance Grading Index (PGI), making it one of the country’s better performing States and Union Territories in school governance.
Secondary Dropout Challenge
Despite recording a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 118 per cent at the middle school level, the report points to a concern at higher classes. While dropout rates remain low at 2 per cent in the preparatory stage and 1.3 per cent at the middle level, these rise sharply to 7.3 per cent at the secondary stage.
The report notes that while Delhi’s “Mega School” model has successfully optimised infrastructure and resources, “targeted academic interventions will be critical to keeping students retained through high-stakes board examinations.”
Four Delhi Districts Among India’s Best
Delhi also performed strongly in the PGI-D 2025-26 district rankings. Of the 19 districts across India to secure the highest achieved Uttam-2 grade, four are from the national capital: South West B-II, New Delhi, North West B-II and South West B-I. The remaining Delhi districts were placed in the Uttam 3 category.
The findings reinforce Delhi’s position as a national leader in efficient school infrastructure and governance, while improving retention at the secondary level remains the next key challenge.
