In a recent report released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it was affirmed that close to 5,000 children in Odisha are out of school. The State Project Director of Odisha School Education Programme Authority, Anupam Saha, on Thursday, June 22, directed all the collectors who also are the chairpersons of the district-level Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, to re-admit these children who are now out of school. These children were identified by the ministry under the scheme of Pradhan Mantri Adarsha Gram Yojana, reports The New Indian Express.
 

The survey was undertaken in 5,118 villages of 398 districts in 24 states across the country. In Odisha, 7,682 such children have been identified from primary to higher secondary level. In the state, the survey was carried out in 246 villages across all the districts. While the School and Mass Education department had enrolled 2,596 children in schools but 5,086 children are still out of school as on May 31.
 

At the primary level, 1,502 children are still out of school, while the number of students who have dropped out from upper primary school is 780. At the secondary level, 965 students are yet to get into school, whereas, in higher secondary schools, the highest 1,893 children are out of school.

The report goes on to state that at the higher secondary level, Odisha has the second highest number of children who are out of school after Uttar Pradesh. The ministry has warranted the state to submit a comprehensive report after the enrolment of the students in school by the end of this month.