New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu announced on Wednesday that dropout rates across the country have fallen thanks to government efforts, with a significant rise in the enrollment of girls in higher education. Speaking at the joint Parliament session to kick off the Budget session, she highlighted a surge in enrollment among Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) students.

"The dropout rate in our country is declining due to government initiatives. We're witnessing a rise in girls' enrollment in higher education. Enrollment of SC students has surged by about 44%, ST students by over 65%, and OBC students by more than 44%," Murmu stated.

She also pointed out improvements in the education of children from households with permanent structures ('pucca' houses), resulting in reduced dropout rates.

"My government is consistently introducing new measures for the education and skill development of India's youth. To this end, we've introduced a new National Education Policy, which is swiftly being implemented. This policy prioritizes education in mother tongues and Indian languages, including the teaching of engineering, medical, and law courses in Indian languages," the president elaborated.

"In order to deliver quality education to school students, we're establishing over 14,000 'PM Shri Vidyalayas'. Already, more than 6000 schools under this initiative are operational," she concluded.

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