Kendriya Vidyalayas Enrolment Hits Five‑Year Low at 1.39 Lakh
In the 2024–25 academic year, new student admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) fell to just 1,39,660, marking the lowest figure in five years. This is a significant decline from 1,75,386 in 2023–24 and even lower than the 1,95,081 recorded in 2020–21.
Overall Student Strength Declines
The total number of students enrolled across 1,280 KVs also dipped to 13,50,518, down from 13,89,560 in 2023–24 and a peak of 14,29,434 in 2021–22. Overall, the KV system lost around 37,000 students over four years—a decline of nearly 2.7 percent.
Why the Drop?
Experts cite several reasons for the declining trend:
- Limited intake capacity and high saturation in existing KV branches.
- Delays in onboarding newly approved KVs due to infrastructure and land approval bottlenecks.
- Growing competition from private and international schools.
- Policy changes such as removal of MP and discretionary quotas, replaced by reserved seats for central force personnel, which may have affected demand.
Ongoing Expansion Plans
Despite the decline, the central government approved 85 new KVs in December 2024, with one school in Shivamogga, Karnataka, also slated for expansion. The initiative carries an estimated total cost of ₹5,872 crore, with around ₹2,863 crore for capital expenditure and ₹3,009 crore for operations.
Higher Budget, Lower Enrolment
Funding for KVs increased steadily from ₹6,438 crore in 2020–21 to ₹8,727 crore in 2024–25. However, this rise in budget has not translated into increased enrolments, prompting concerns about structural challenges within the KV system.
What’s Next?
Officials say setting up KVs is an ongoing process. But education analysts suggest that to reverse the trend, the government must accelerate infrastructure delivery, streamline land approvals, improve admission processes, and invest in teacher and facility quality. Only then can KVs remain competitive and continue serving their core mission of educating children of transferable government employees.
