Dropout rate has reduced; enrolment of girls, SC, ST and OBC students in higher education up: Prez

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The dropout rate in the country has reduced due to efforts of the government while the enrolment of girls in higher education has increased, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday.

Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget session, she said enrolment of Scheduled Caste students has increased by about 44 per cent, that of Scheduled Tribe students by more than 65 per cent and that of OBC by more than 44 per cent.

“The dropout rate in the country has reduced due to efforts of my government. The enrolment of girls in higher education has increased. Enrolment of Scheduled Caste students has increased by about 44 pc, that of Scheduled Tribe students by more than 65 pc and that of OBC by more than 44 pc,” Murmu said.

She noted that education of children in families having ‘pucca’ houses has improved and has resulted in a decline in the dropout rates.

“My government is continuously taking new initiatives for the education and skill development of India’s youth. For this, a new National Education Policy was framed and is being implemented rapidly. In the National Education Policy, emphasis has been laid on education in mother tongue and Indian languages. Teaching of subjects like engineering, medical, law has been started in Indian languages,” the president said.

“To provide quality education to school students, my government is working on more than 14,000 ‘PM Shri Vidyalayas’. Out of these, more than 6000 schools have started functioning,” she added.