Bihar is ahead of many developed States in OBC girls’ Class I- VIII enrolment: NEUPA

The latest report by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NEUPA) pleasantly surprises with its result as it shows Bihar next to Tamil Nadu in OBC girls' enrolment from Class VI- VIII. Bihar has lesser number of dropout girls post class V than its most developed counterpart.

As per the NEUPA report "Elementary Education in India: Progress Towards Universal Elementary Education", Bihar is ahead of most states at primary and upper primary levels (Class I to VIII), in Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe girls' enrolment. Moreover, Bihar witnessed OBC girls' enrolment in Class VI- VIII at the rate of 65.25 percent. It stands very close to Tamil Nadu which leads at the rate of 68.81 percent.

OBC Girls' Class I- VIII Enrolment

In OBC girls' enrolment category, Kerala with 100% literacy stands at 60.95 percent, followed by Uttar Pradesh (50.33), Gujarat (49.63), Chhattisgarh (49.81), Rajasthan (48.64), Jharkhand (48.52) and Andhra Pradesh (46.54). However, the national average yet sadly stands at 40.27 per cent only.

In the Scheduled Tribes category, Bihar has almost touched girls' enrolment in primary school with 48.46 percent as compared to the national average of 48.53 per cent. The average at upper primary schools enrolment is at the rate of 47.46 per cent as compared to the national average of 48.16 per cent.

Bihar Education Project

Bihar Education Project (a registered Bihar government body focusing on elementary education) Special Project Director, Rajesh Bhushan, credits this achievement to the incentives like uniform and bicycle (for class IX girls) schemes that keeps the girls motivated.

Bihar has 71000 schools with a strength of 2.27 crore children. However, as per the current demographics, there are over 6 lakh unfortunate children below 14 years who do not go to school. Enthusiastic about the report, the Director further informed to bring all of them to school in the coming two years.

About NEUPA

The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, is a premier organization dealing with capacity building and research in planning and management of education.