India

Background Information

Region

South Asia

World Bank income group

Lower middle income

Percent of population aged 10-24

26% (UNFPA, 2023)

Total primary school age population (both sexes)

120,307,241 (UIS, 2023)

Total secondary school age population (both sexes)

175,517,260 (UIS, 2023)

Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18
(% of women aged 20-24)

23%

Source: UNSDG , 2021

Adolescent birth rate
(per 1,000 women ages 15-19)

11

Source: UN Human Development Reports , 2019

Percentage of women who ever experienced physical violence since age 15
(% of women 15-49)

29%

Source: DHS , 2021

Percentage of married women employed in the last 12 months
(% of married or in-union women 15-49)

38%

Source: DHS , 2021

Education Snapshot Back to Top

Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks
(Years)

8

Source: UIS , 2022

Percentage of upper secondary schools providing life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the formal curriculum or as part of extra-curricular activities
Percentage of schools

100%

Source: UNESCO , 2022

Proportion of schools with access to single-sex basic sanitation facilities
Percentage of schools
  • Primary 98%

    (2022)

  • Lower secondary 99%

    (2022)

  • Upper secondary 100%

    (2022)

Source: UIS

Women as a percentage of teachers in tertiary education
Women as a percentage
Men as a percentage of teachers in pre-primary education
Men as a percentage
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure
% GDP spent on education

Source: UIS , 2021

Gender parity index for achievement in mathematics, by education level (ratio)

No data available

Gender parity index for achievement in reading, by education level (ratio)

No data available


Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading

  • Female 47%

  • Male 45%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics

  • Female 44%

  • Male 44%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017


Experiencing bullying in the last 12 months in lower secondary education

Youth not in education, employment or training

  • Female 44%

  • Male 14%

Female: ILO, 2021

Male: ILO, 2021


Completion rate

Primary school age
  • Female 91%

  • Male 92%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016

Lower secondary school age
  • Female 79%

  • Male 82%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016

Upper secondary school age
  • Female 40%

  • Male 46%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016


Out-of-school rate

Primary school
  • Female 6%

  • Male 6%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016

Lower secondary school
  • Female 10%

  • Male 9%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016

Upper secondary school
  • Female 26%

  • Male 21%

Female: UIS, 2016

Male: UIS, 2016

Legal Frameworks Back to Top

Presence of legislation on child protection, to prevent corporal punishment in schools

3

Limited protection from violence in educational institutions

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Presence of legislation protecting the right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender

2

Only enshrines the right to education or provides for a limited protection of this right

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Presence of legislation to protect and facilitate education of pregnant adolescent girls

2

No explicit protection of the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Existence of processes to support coordinated action on gender equality in and through education by ministries, civil society, youth organizations and other actors

Data coming soon!

Existence of systematic processes to review and update curricula and learning resources, with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality

Data coming soon!

Training on gender-responsive pedagogies is embedded in teacher training programmes

Data coming soon!


Programs Back to Top

Project/Program

Adolescent Empowerment Programme

Project/Program

After School Life Skills Programme

Advocacy Campaign/Project

A More Equal Future: A MenCare Manual to Engage Fathers to Prevent Child Marriage in India

Network/Convening/Conference

Asia Pacific Region National Education Coalitions COVID-19 Zoom Conference

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Government Programs Back to Top

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Policy & Frameworks Back to Top

Framework

National Guidelines and Implementation Framework on Equitable and Inclusive Education

This framework emphasizes collaboration on an international level in key areas such as developing culturally sensitive curricula that address gender, cultural identity, and language development, as well as tackling issues related to dropout rates and retention, particularly among girls and transgender children. In addition, there is the provision of a Gender-Inclusion Fund to provide equitable quality education and for assisting female and transgender children in gaining access to education through different mechanisms such as making provisions of sanitation and toilets, bicycles, conditional cash transfers, etc.