Abstract
Abstract This study examines and evaluates the efficacy and productivity of school education in the newly established Union Territories (UTs) of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir at the district level. Using UDISE dataset for 2020–21 and 2021–22, the research employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist productivity methodology. The findings reveal that KAR and PUL districts consistently achieved the best performance across both years for all three education levels. Districts such as GAN and RAJ exhibit efficiency in primary and upper primary education, whereas KAT, LEH, and SRI demonstrate efficiency in primary and secondary education, and in primary and upper primary schools, there are DMUs showing an increase in the factor’s productivity. However, no secondary school DMUs demonstrate this increase. These results provide a nuanced understanding of school efficiency and productivity in a region-specific context, offering policy insights to enhance school performance, promote inclusive growth, and achieve SDG 4.