New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- More than 65,000 government schools across India have fewer than 10 students, while 5,149 schools reported zero enrolment in 2024-25, according to official Ministry of Education data.

According to the Ministry of Education, more than 70 per cent of zero-enrolment schools are concentrated in Telangana and West Bengal, indicating sharp regional disparities in student attendance across the government school network.

The data, shared last week in a written reply to questions raised by MPs Karti P. Chidambaram and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in the Lok Sabha, is based on information compiled through the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+).

Beyond schools with no students, the Ministry's data...