Kendriya Vidyalayas See Sharp Decline in Admissions Even as Funding Jumps 36%
KV enrolments fall 28% in four years as quotas are cut and class size caps enforced. Govt reveals data in Lok Sabha.
Kendriya Vidyalaya Student Strength Falls to 1.35 Million Despite ₹8,727 Cr Allocation
New Delhi: New admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) have dropped by more than 55,000 students between 2020–21 and 2024–25, government data presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday revealed.
According to figures shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, fresh enrolments fell from 195,081 in 2020–21 to 139,660 in 2024–25 — a decline of nearly 28%. During the same period, the overall student strength in these 1,280 centrally run schools dropped from 1,387,763 to 1,350,518, marking a 2.68% fall.
📉 Decline Despite More Funds
Ironically, the enrolment decline comes even as budgetary support for the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) surged by 35.67%, rising from ₹6,437.68 crore in 2020–21 to ₹8,727 crore in 2024–25.
🔎 Year-on-Year Trends
♦ 2020–21: 195,081 new students
♦ 2021–22: 182,846 (▼ 12,235)
♦ 2022–23: 157,914 (▼ 24,932)
♦ 2023–24: 175,386 (▲ 17,472)
♦ 2024–25: 139,660 (▼ 35,726)
The overall student strength also saw fluctuations — peaking at 1,429,434 in 2021–22 before slipping back to 1,350,518 in 2024–25, a fall of nearly 79,000 from the peak.
📌 Quota Changes and Class Size Caps
Education experts and KV principals point to the removal of several admission quotas as a major factor. In 2022–23, the KVS abolished quotas for Members of Parliament, families of education ministry staff, retired KV employees, and other discretionary categories.
Instead, a new quota was introduced for 50 seats per school for children of Group B and C personnel from central police forces like CRPF, BSF, and CISF deployed in sensitive areas.
Additionally, KVs enforce a strict class strength cap of 40 students, which limits fresh admissions. “The reduction in the number of fresh admissions to 32 per class in 2024–25 has further lowered intake,” said Panjagala Anjaneyulu, head of the admission committee at KV Kurnool.
🏫 Government Expansion Push
Despite the decline, the central government approved 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas last year and sanctioned expansion of one existing school in Shivamogga, Karnataka, at a cost of ₹5,872.08 crore.
Observers say the expansion reflects continuing demand for quality, affordable education, even as policy changes reshape the profile of new entrants.
