The Ministry of Education will begin digitally tracking students who fail Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations from 2026 and directly connect them with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) for re-admission to reintegrate out-of-school children.
The policy intervention comes against the backdrop of nearly 50 lakh students failing board exams across India in 2024, many of whom risk exiting the formal education system permanently.
Student data will be captured through the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), the government's central education database, and shared with NIOS to enable targeted outreach and re-enrolment through open schooling programmes.
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"There is an urgent need to strengthen open schooling so that students who fail or drop out are given a structured opportunity to re-enter the education system," Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DOSEL), said. "From 2026, we will systematically track Class 10 and Class 12 failures and proactively reach out to them through NIOS," he added.
The Centre is also exploring financial support to remove cost barriers for re-admission. According to officials, the Ministry is examining whether funds allocated to states under the Samagra Shiksha scheme can be used to cover NIOS enrolment fees for students who are out of school.
"We already provide substantial funding to states through Samagra Shiksha. We are considering whether an amount equivalent to NIOS fees can be extended to help mainstream these children," Kumar said.
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Beyond exam failures, student dropouts remain a central concern for the government, even as retention indicators show gradual improvement over the past decade. Data from the Ministry shows that preparatory-level dropout rates declined from 5.1 per cent in 2014-15 to 2.3 per cent in 2023-24. Middle-school dropouts reduced marginally from 3.8 per cent to 3.5 per cent, while secondary-level dropouts fell more sharply from 13.5 per cent to 8.2 per cent over the same period.
Despite these gains, officials stressed that the goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) remains universal retention until the completion of Class 12.
"The core objective of the NEP is to ensure 100 per cent retention till Class 12, so that every child who enters the school system completes secondary education," Kumar said.
Open schooling, he added, is a critical instrument in achieving this goal, particularly for students facing economic or personal constraints. "Many children need to work while continuing their studies. Open schooling offers the flexibility they need, and that is why strengthening this system is essential," the secretary added.
With the proposed tracking mechanism and potential financial support, the government hopes to significantly reduce dropouts caused by board exam failures and bring more students back into the education mainstream.
