Science Lab Coverage Drops as School Numbers Surge, UDISE+ Data Shows
NEW DELHI: The percentage of secondary schools in India equipped with integrated science laboratories has fallen to 54.6% in 2025-26, despite an increase in the absolute number of such labs, according to the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data. The decline is attributed to a faster expansion in the number of schools offering secondary education.
The data, released by the Ministry of Education, shows that coverage dropped from 57.1% in 2024-25 and 55.9% in 2023-24. In absolute terms, the number of schools with integrated science labs rose from 1.6 lakh in 2023-24 to 1.7 lakh in 2025-26. However, the total number of secondary schools grew from approximately 2.9 lakh to 3.1 lakh during the same period, pulling down the overall coverage rate.
The report stresses the need for 'adequate and safe infrastructure... computing devices, internet, libraries, and sports and recreational resources' to support quality education. It also warns that an imbalance in school availability across different levels 'may pose the risk of large-scale dropout of students at the higher classes'.
The decline is not confined to government schools. While government schools saw a slight improvement from 50.2% in 2023-24 to 51.1% in 2025-26, government-aided schools experienced a drop from 63.2% to 59.9%, and private unaided schools fell from 60.7% to 57.5%.
State-level data reveals stark contrasts. Delhi leads with 99.7% of its secondary schools having integrated science labs, followed by Chhattisgarh (79.8%) and Haryana (77.4%). However, Goa saw a sharp decline from 95.2% in 2023-24 to 79.6% in 2025-26. Among larger states, Bihar remained at the bottom with only 26.9% coverage, though it improved from 23% in 2023-24. Assam rose significantly from 28.8% to 43.3%, while Gujarat slipped from 46.7% to 43.8% and Andhra Pradesh fell from 61.9% to 48.7% as secondary schooling expanded.
The data underscores the challenge of ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid growth in the number of schools, particularly at the secondary level. Experts emphasise the need for targeted investments in science labs to meet educational standards and prevent dropouts.
