Educational Disparities in India’s Union Territories: Infrastructure, Literacy and Policy Needs

Abstract

This article examines the state of education in Union Territories of India, focusing on how infrastructure, literacy levels, and socio-economic factors are interconnected. The study is based in on quantitative data from Indian Census 2011 & U-DISE+ 2021-2022’s report on school enrolment, literacy rates, numbers of schools, and the availability of key facilities, including electricity, ramps, libraries, and digital infrastructure. The findings show significant variations among these Union Territories like Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have the highest number of schools but lower literacy rates, on the other hand Lakshadweep has the lowest number schools but the highest literacy rate. The survey emphasizes on the urban-rural divide, showing that urban region generally obtain better educational outcomes and have more developed school infrastructure. The data show cases the need for effective policy measures to reduce the gap between urban-rural and promote educational equality among regions. This article aims to determine the challenges and opportunities within each Union Territories and serving as a foundation for shaping policies and allocating resources to create a positive educational environment across union territories of India.