Report exposes Modi govt’s failure to ensure basic facilities in public schools
Nearly 100,000 schools without girls’ toilets, thousands lack electricity and teachers
New Delhi: In a stark indictment of the Modi government’s claims of progress and development, a report released by NITI Aayog, India’s top public policy and planning body, has revealed that nearly 100,000 government-run schools across the country still lack functional toilets for girls, laying bare the deep infrastructure crisis in the education sector.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the report found that 98,592 public schools do not have usable toilets for girls, while 61,540 schools lack any functional toilet facilities at all, despite years of government campaigns promoting sanitation and educational access.
Government data tracking India’s school system showed that nearly 119,000 schools still lack electricity connections, depriving students of access to lighting, fans, computers and digital learning tools. Another 14,505 schools do not have functional drinking water facilities, while 59,829 schools lack hand-washing infrastructure, raising serious concerns over student health, hygiene and safety.
Education advocates have long warned that inadequate sanitation disproportionately affects girls, particularly adolescents, contributing to absenteeism and school dropouts. Critics say the continued neglect of such basic needs exposes the hollow nature of the Modi government’s development rhetoric.
The report also highlighted severe teacher shortages, particularly in remote regions, where more than 100,000 schools operate with only a single teacher responsible for handling multiple grades alongside administrative duties, further undermining the quality of learning.
In another sign of administrative inefficiency, 7,993 schools reported zero student enrolment yet continue to receive government funding and staff allocations due to outdated official records.
The report also pointed to declining public confidence in India’s education system, with enrolment in government-run schools dropping sharply from 71 percent in 2005 to 49.24 percent in 2024–25, as increasing numbers of families turn to private institutions despite higher costs.
