NEW DELHI: Delhi’s education system presents a striking contrast: while infrastructure and enrolment have achieved near-universal levels, learning outcomes continue to lag.
The Delhi State Indicator Framework 2024 shows that nearly every school in the capital now has electricity, toilets, drinking water, and computers — a leap from a decade ago when these facilities were unevenly distributed.
Gross enrolment ratios in primary and upper-primary levels now exceed 100%, reflecting universal participation. Yet the promise of access has not translated into learning.
Results from national assessments reveal that large numbers of students in Classes 3 to 8 fail to meet minimum proficiency standards in both language and mathematics.
Class 3 language proficiency, for instance, declined from 32.4% in 2017 to 26% in 2021.
Mathematics scores in primary and middle grades also stagnated, pointing to persistent foundational learning gaps. The report tracks Delhi’s progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On clean water and sanitation, the share of households with drinking water within premises rose from 82.1% in 2012 to 91.6% in 2018, but toilet access slipped slightly from 96.7% to 95.2% in the same period — a surprising reversal given national gains.
Under affordable and clean energy, electricity access is now universal, but renewables contribute only a modest share of power. The city’s dependence on fossil energy remains high despite rapid solar expansion elsewhere in India.
Economic indicators present another paradox: Delhi’s per capita GSDP grew 7.17% in 2023–24, yet women’s labour force participation remains at just 14.5%.
Banking access surged, with accounts per 1,000 population rising from 2,611 in 2015–16 to 6,358 in 2022–23, even as ATMs per capita declined.
Environmental data shows mixed progress. Air quality has improved slightly, with annual average NO2 levels dropping from 72.9 µg/m³ in 2015–16 to 33.5 in 2023–24, though values remain close to unsafe limits. Forest cover has crept up from 12.7% to 13.2% of Delhi’s area since 2015.
Governance and justice indicators reveal persistent challenges: undertrials still constitute about 90% of the prison population, even as judges per lakh population improved from 2.64 in 2016 to 3.77 in 2023.
Together, the numbers highlight the city’s uneven journey — strong on access to services and infrastructure, but still struggling with learning quality and gender equity.
Maths scores in primary grades stagnated As per the report, Mathematics scores in primary and middle grades also stagnated, pointing to persistent foundational learning gaps.
Class 3 language proficiency, for instance, declined from 32.4% in 2017 to 26% in 2021. The promise of access has not translated into learning
The article is reported by Prabhat Shukla of The New Indian Express