New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) Fresh enrolments in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country have hit a five-year low in the 2024-25 academic year, according to data shared by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan shared the data in response to a written question in the Lower House.

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According to Pradhan, the number of new students enrolled in the Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) 2024-25 stood at over 1.39 lakh, down from over 1.75 lakh in 2023-24.

The number of fresh enrolments in 2022-23 was over 1.57 lakh, more than 1.82 lakh in 2021-22 and above 1.95 lakh in 2020-21.

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At present, there are 1,280 KVs functioning across the country.

"Opening of new KVs is a continuous process. KVs are opened primarily to cater to the educational needs of the wards of transferable central Government Employees including Defence and Para-military personnel, Central Autonomous Bodies, Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Central Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) by providing a common programme of education throughout the country," Pradhan said.

"Proposals for opening of new KVs may be sponsored by Ministries or Departments of the Government of India, State Governments and Union Territories (UTs) administrations, with commitment to provide requisite resources including land and temporary accommodation for setting up a new KV as per norms," he added.

Pradhan said that the proposals are subject to approval of the competent authority according to extant procedures.

"KVs are not opened on the criteria of state, UT, parliamentary constituency and district," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)