Discrepancies in Student Enrollment Data Raise Concerns in Assam; Questions Linger Over ‘Ghost Students’ in Gunotsav

The accuracy of student enrollment data in Assam has come under scrutiny as various portals present conflicting figures. The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) reports 51,37,047 students enrolled in government or provincialized schools for 2021-22, while the state’s Siksha Setu portal notes 46,82,556 AI-enrolled students, reflecting a significant shortfall. The SDMIS 2022-23 offers a different figure, adding to the confusion.

Notably, Siksha Setu indicates around 30 lakh students attending school regularly, leaving approximately 19 lakh students marked as consistently absent. The concern arises whether these absentees represent ‘ghost students’ or an exaggerated student count.

Allegations of venture schools inflating enrollment figures for government benefits have surfaced. As Assam conducts the annual Gunotsav survey, questions persist about whether the issue of ‘ghost students’ is adequately addressed during this state-led assessment.