Gandhinagar, June 24: Official figures released on Wednesday indicate that over 1.12 million students have enrolled in Gujarat as part of the state government’s ‘Kanya Kelvani Mahotsav and Shala Praveshotsav 2026’ campaign. This enrollment initiative has reached more than 17,000 villages and nearly 25,000 schools.
On the second day of the annual school admission campaign, events were held across 8,173 villages and 11,987 schools statewide. A total of 29,682 dignitaries, including ministers, elected representatives, and senior government officials, visited schools to welcome children and encourage admissions.
Combined data from the first two days show that the campaign involved 17,338 villages and 24,716 schools, with participation from 60,184 representatives and officials. The government reported, “As a result of this campaign, over 1.12 million students have been admitted so far.”
The 24th edition of the admission campaign was launched on Monday by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at B.N. High School in Vadnagar, the same school where Prime Minister Narendra Modi studied as a child.
The campaign aims to enhance literacy levels and ensure that all eligible children are included in the education system. According to official data, over 62,000 children began their educational journey through admissions in Anganwadi and pre-primary institutions on Wednesday.
In nursery classes, the number of admissions exceeded the identified eligible children; over 140,000 admissions were recorded compared to 139,925 eligible children. Additionally, more than 34,000 students were admitted to Grade 1, 196,755 to Grade 9, and 101,759 to Grade 11.
Furthermore, 21,892 students identified through the state’s ‘Back to School Survey’ were enrolled in educational institutions during the campaign. To improve access to education, the government announced that it has provided new transportation facilities to 847 schools.
This initiative aims to help students from remote and underprivileged areas easily reach educational institutions. During the campaign, 5,664 female students were also distributed ‘Vidyalakshmi Bonds.’ These bonds are intended to encourage girls to continue their education and assist them in pursuing higher education.
The campaign received support from public participation, with contributions exceeding ₹9.19 crore. This includes over ₹1.25 crore in cash donations and more than ₹7.95 crore worth of educational materials donated to schools across the state.
The state government launched the ‘Kanya Kelvani Mahotsav’ and ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ in 2003 as an initiative to enhance school admissions throughout the state, particularly for girls and children from marginalized communities. This program is held annually before the new academic session and includes activities that reach out to villages and schools across Gujarat.
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