Academic achievements are given utmost importance in India. This is demonstrated in the fact that India has the world’s second-highest number of universities and maximum student enrollments in education. The emphasis on education in India is also reflected in the leadership of large multinational corporations led by personalities like Mr. Narayan Krishnamurthy, Mr. Ratan Tata, and Mr. Azim Premji.

Moreover, in India, the education system has evolved in two distinct directions, particularly when it comes to rural education. India is dealing with a rural education dropout problem. This is a serious worry because it denies many children the fundamental right to education. The dropout issue is specifically worrisome because it jeopardises one’s economic and social well-being while lowering the country’s literacy rate.

Education is heavily reliant on government-run or aided schools and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the vast majority of the rural population. According to government statistics and independent surveys, 87% of schools in India are in villages. As reported in the Annual State of Education Report (ASER), only 16% of children in Class 1 in India’s 26 surveyed rural districts can read at the prescribed level, and nearly 40% cannot even recognise letters. As a result, the graduation rate has decreased. According to ruraledu.org’s report, nearly 6 in 10 students in the 800 rural districts in the 15 target states can be expected to graduate.

There are several contributing factors for this challenge, and it is important to find solutions. Lack of access to education is one of the chief reasons for the high dropout rate in rural areas. This is especially relevant for girls, who are frequently forced to stay at home. Another reason is that rural schools lack proper infrastructure and facilities. Schools are frequently under-resourced, making it difficult for students to learn, and 23% of adolescent girls drop out due to a lack of toilet facilities. Veer V, former director of Defence Research Laboratory (DRDO), Tezpur, shared numerous shocking statistics about the country’s lack of toilet facilities.

Furthermore, teachers in these schools are frequently out of touch with the most recent curriculum and technology, and they lack the necessary skills to effectively teach students.
According to researchgate, the average pupil-teacher ratio in public elementary schools in rural areas was lower (15.4%) than in towns (15.9%), cities (16.6%), and suburbs (16.7&). The same was true for public secondary schools; in rural schools (15.3), the pupil-teacher ratio was lower than in towns (16.2), suburbs (17.5%), and cities (18.5%). (18.1%).

While most urban schools are overstaffed, rural schools are severely understaffed. This therefore proves unhealthy and detrimental to the academic progress of rural students.

The Mid-Day-Meal programme is the only motivator that encourages rural students to attend school. Rural children are eager to attend school because the mid-day meal programme is organised according to the menu, so that children have something new to eat every day, and rural people sometimes benefit from this scheme.

Many of them see no point in pursuing an education because there are no good jobs available in their area. As a result, they prefer to work rather than attend school. Despite being the world’s most populous country, India has a severe shortage of jobs. As a result, the uneducated population is more likely to be unemployed and poor.

To realise the dream of a new and educated India, there must be a greater emphasis on upgrading the education system through digital learning.

It is recommended that a new curriculum that can keep up with the technological era be introduced during the globalisation phase. However, it is no secret that digital learning has numerous benefits, and we all have the ability to create limitless futures for ourselves, our families, and future generations.