Government financial aid for meritorious students has led to a noticeable rise in Class 11 science admissions this year compared to last year.
According to the Gujarat School Education Department, 1,27,560 students enrolled in the Class 11 science stream for 2025–26, up from 1,25,857 in 2024–25. Officials attribute this increase to growing interest in science careers and the availability of government financial support.
This year, Class 12 science enrolment stands at 1,27,135 students, bringing the total number of science students in Classes 11 and 12 to 2,54,695—up from 2,40,556 last year.
Rohit Mehta, consultant to the School Education Department, said the rise is largely due to the NaMo Saraswati Vigyan Sadhana Yojna, launched last year to reverse the declining trend in science enrolments—from 30% in 2015–16 to 18% in 2022–23. The scheme provides financial help to students scoring at least 50% in Class 10 board exams who opt for science in Class 11 under Gujarat Board or CBSE schools.
However, the growth is uneven across school types. Private and self-financed schools saw enrolment jump from 83,921 to 85,699, while government schools recorded a slight dip—from 7,866 to 7,641. Grant-in-aid schools saw a small increase, from 34,070 to 34,220 students.