NEW DELHI/BANGALORE: As per the Composite Educational Development Index, Puducherry is ranked first while Uttar Pradesh took the last position in providing infrastructure, including toilets and drinking water facilities, in elementary schools.

The Index was released by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday. Lakshadweep ranked second, Sikkim third, Himachal Pradesh fourth and Karnataka fifth. Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab also figured in the top 10 list compiled annually. Delhi was ranked sixth and Tamil Nadu seventh.

The flash statistics 2013-14 for elementary education in India was prepared by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). It covers 1.45 million schools spread over 662 districts across 35 States and Union Territories. The Educational Development Index of the states took into account the progress made both at the primary and upper primary levels.

According to the statistics (as on September 2013), 99.83 and 99.70 per cent of all schools in Karnataka have functional toilets for boys and girls. In 2013-14, Karnataka is shown to have 11 primary (6-11 years) and upper primary (11-14 years) schools per thousand child population.

 Karnataka is also doing well in terms of keeping the dropout rate below most other states and maintaining a high retention rate over the last two years. The average dropout rate of boys and girls put together in the state is 3.72 per cent, while the state has managed to retain 91.84 per cent of kids in classes 1-5, better than Rajasthan (68.50) and Madhya Pradesh (73.51). However, states like Maharashtra (94.23), Tamil Nadu (96.29) and Gujarat (95.51) are doing better at retention at primary level.