In India, the number of students being admitted to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) has decreased. In a formal response submitted to the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Education affirmed this.
Approximately 13.5 lakh students are currently enrolled in the 1,280 Kendriya Vidyalayas that are currently in operation throughout the nation.
This is a comparison of the number of students across time:
13.87 lakh pupils were registered for the 2020–21 school year.
By the 2024–2025 school year, there were only 13.50 lakh pupils.
This indicates a dip in admissions of about 37,245 students, or 2.86%.
Between the 2024–25 and 2023–24 academic years, Kendriya Vidyalayas saw a drop of 39,042 students nationwide. The highest enrollment in the past five years was in 2021–22, with 14.29 lakh students.
Enrollment of New Students
Over the course of five years, the number of new students admitted to Kendriya Vidyalayas has steadily decreased, falling from 1.95 lakh in 2020–21 to just 1.39 lakh in 2024–25, a decrease of more than 55,000 pupils. Although there was a small increase in 2023–2024, the 2024–2025 numbers represent a five-year low.
The government approved 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas under civil and defence sectors in December 2024, along with expanding an existing KV in Shivamogga, Karnataka. The total estimated cost is ₹5,872 crore. KV proposals must include land and infrastructure, and approvals follow set norms—not based on state or constituency boundaries.
Kendriya Vidyalayas are set up mainly to educate children of transferable Central Government employees, including defence and PSU staff, offering a uniform curriculum across India for consistent education.