New Delhi: In a major financial push to strengthen the education sector in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the Central Government has released a total of ₹1,881 crore under key educational schemes.
This information was shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. The funds have been disbursed over the past two financial years under the government’s flagship initiatives, Samagra Shiksha and PM-SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India), which aim to improve school infrastructure and promote quality education.
Of the total amount, Jammu and Kashmir has received ₹1,689 crore, while Ladakh has been allocated ₹192 crore. The disbursal includes both yearly allocations for 2023–24 and 2024–25. Under Samagra Shiksha, Jammu and Kashmir was granted ₹865.44 crore in 2023–24 and ₹823.49 crore in 2024–25. The Union Territory also received ₹52.39 crore and ₹99.72 crore under the PM-SHRI scheme during the same period. Similarly, Ladakh was sanctioned ₹52.23 crore and ₹140 crore under Samagra Shiksha, in addition to ₹4.04 crore and ₹11.91 crore through PM-SHRI.
These schemes are central to the government’s strategy to uplift education standards in far-flung and underserved regions. While Samagra Shiksha covers a broad range of interventions including infrastructure development, teacher training, inclusive education, and digital learning, the PM-SHRI scheme focuses on transforming selected schools into model institutions under the vision of the National Education Policy 2020.
However, alongside the announcement of these funds, the Union Education Minister also highlighted a worrying trend: a decline in student enrolment in government schools across both Union Territories. In Jammu and Kashmir, enrolment fell from 14.54 lakh in 2022–23 to 14.21 lakh in 2023–24, while Ladakh saw a drop from 28,667 to 26,275 students during the same period. The decline was attributed in part to changes in data collection methodology under the UDISE+ system, although structural issues such as migration to private schools and demographic shifts are also believed to be contributing factors.
To arrest the decline and improve enrolment and retention, the Ministry of Education has reiterated its commitment to several supplementary schemes, including the Mid-Day Meal program (now PM POSHAN), free distribution of textbooks and uniforms, provision of transport and residential facilities, and targeted support for children with special needs. These measures, it said, are being actively implemented in both Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. [KNT]
