In a historic first, the Ministry of Education’s 2024 report revealed that more girls passed Class 12 in the science stream than in arts, with 28.14 lakh girls clearing science compared to 27.24 lakh in arts, reversing the long-standing trend. This shift reflects a decade-long transformation, with total science pass-outs rising from 36.3 lakh in 2013 to 61 lakh in 2024, and girls increasing from 13.4 lakh to 28.1 lakh. In contrast, the number of girls passing in arts dropped steadily from 28.2 lakh (2022) to 27.24 lakh (2024). Even more striking is the 252% rise in Scheduled Tribe (ST) girls passing in science, from 60,000 in 2013 to 1.4 lakh in 2024. This transition is largely driven by government schemes like Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI, along with expanded smart classrooms, subject-wise labs, and Atal Tinkering Labs, combined with a shift in parental attitudes favoring STEM education for girls.
Performance Across Streams & Social Groups
Girls in Science now make up about 46% of all students passing in that stream—up from 42% in 2021.
Top Scorers Surge:
The number of Class 12 students scoring over 60% has jumped from 43.1 lakh (2013) to 80 lakh (2024).
Female achievers over 60% rose from 21.9 lakh to 42.8 lakh—a 96% increase.
Other Streams: Commerce also saw a dip—from 18 lakh pass-outs in 2022 to 16.8 lakh in 2024.
Voices from the MoE & Education Officials
Sanjay Kumar, School Education Secretary said:
“There has been a consistent rise in the number of students graduating from Class 12 with the science stream over the last 11 years… In 2024, science was the most sought-after stream.”
On infrastructure:
“This might be due to improvement in the availability of facilities viz., subject wise labs, teachers, ATLs, smart class in schools.”
Discussing inclusion:
“Demand for subject teachers in science, labs etc. is going to increase… This broad based performance is testimony to an inclusive education ecosystem.”
On higher education needs:
MoE urged states to align seat availability in STEM courses with this new demand.
Why It Matters
1- Gender Equality Milestone: Girls choosing and excelling in science signals a dramatic shift from 2013, when arts dominated female participation by 7.5 lakh.
2- Social Mobility: STEM can provide girls—especially from marginalized groups—a stronger platform for higher education and upward mobility.
3- Tech-Edu Policy Implications: States must ramp up STEM infrastructure and higher education seats to meet growing demand.
2024 marks a historic turning point: Science stream overtakes Arts among Class 12 girls for the first time on record. The increase is driven by government investment, improved infrastructure, and evolving social attitudes, especially toward STEM for girls. This shift is broad-based, spanning rural, urban, and marginalized communities, with ST girls’ participation rising dramatically. The challenge now: translate this momentum into sustained growth via quality higher education, resource allocation, and targeted support systems.
This isn’t just a data point—it’s a narrative of changing aspirations, policy success, and rising ambition among young Indian women. The MoE’s comprehensive analysis of 66 education boards confirms this is a genuine, nationwide phenomenon—not a localized anomaly. The next chapters will depend on institutional follow-through to ensure this trend translates into genuine opportunities.