New Delhi :  A total of 61 HIV-infected children were forced out of schools in seven states in the last three years and the current year, the Rajya Sabha was informed Friday.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari, in a written reply, said: "As per information available with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), 61 children infected by HIV were removed from schools."

According to the minister, the incidents took place in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

A maximum of 27 cases were reported from Andhra Pradesh followed by West Bengal 13 and Haryana 9.