Lok Sabha Question No. 5815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Adverse  Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5815

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## Adverse Pupil-Teacher Ratio

5815. Shri Brijmohan Agrawal:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of Government primary schools currently operating with a single teacher and less than prescribed ratio, State/UT-wise including Chhattisgarh;
- (b) the measures being taken under Samagra Shiksha to rationalize teacher placement and ensure that schools in Aspirational Districts meet the mandatory Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) as per the RTE Act;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure that high-end infrastructure provided under the PM SHRI scheme  is  not  rendered  under-utilized  in  schools  lacking  dedicated  subject  or  Information  and Communication Technology (ICT) teachers;
- (d) the details of special incentives or housing facilities being planned to improve teacher retention in remote and tribal regions; and
- (e) the timelines for eradicating the single-teacher school model to ensure equitable learning outcomes as envisioned in the National Education Policy (ΝΕΡ), 2020?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a): As per UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) 2024-25, State/UT wise including Chhattisgarh Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) at primary level in government schools and number of single teacher government primary schools for the year 2024-25 are available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques.

(b) to (e): Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, an overwhelming majority of the schools in the country comes under the administrative control of States/UTs. The recruitment, service conditions and rational deployment of teachers fall under the purview of the respective State Governments/UT Administrations. Recruitment of teachers is a continuous process, and vacancies arise on account of various factors such as retirement, resignation and increased requirement of teachers due to growth in student enrolment. The Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides financial assistance to the States and UTs to maintain appropriate PupilTeacher Ratio (PTR) for various levels of schooling, as per norms prescribed in the Right of Children to Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009,  as  amended  from  time  to  time.  Further,  Under Samagra  Shiksha  one  of  the  important  interventions  for  strengthening  school  infrastructure  is establishment and strengthening residential quarters for teachers, especially female teachers in sparsely populated or hilly and densely forested areas with difficult geographical terrain and border areas where a new primary or upper primary and secondary/senior secondary schools may not be viable

Under  the  PM  SHRI  Scheme,  strengthening  of  teacher  training  is  done  through  District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). There is financial provision of up to 3.00 lakh per DIET for capacity-building programmes of PM SHRI schools, along with assistance of up to 2,500 per teacher for training of subject teachers, principals, special educators, ICT teachers, and master trainers. School principals  are  trained  in  leadership,  management,  and  competency-  based  pedagogical  planning. Teachers are also trained on the Holistic Progress Card, school safety and security, mental health and well-being,  first-level  counselling,  and  integration  of  ICT  in  teaching-learning  practices,  thereby enhancing overall teaching quality and school leadership in PM SHRI schools.

Strengthening  of  teacher  training/education  programmes  is  supported  under  the  centrally sponsored  scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha  in  alignment  with  the  recommendations  of  the  National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The interventions under Samagra Shiksha are aimed at strengthening of physical  infrastructure in  Teacher  Education  Institutions  (TEIs);  support  to  State  Councils  of Educational Research and Trainings (SCERTs) so that they can effectively and efficiently carry out quality teacher education, research and develop state-specific curriculum framework, as a follow up to the  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCF  SE);  capacity  building  of  District Institute  of  Education  and  Training  (DIET)  functionaries;  continuous  academic  support  to  schools through BRC/CRC etc.

The Ministry of Education is implementing a National Mission to improve learning outcomes at  the  School  Education  level  through  an  integrated  teacher  training  programme  called  'National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement' (NISHTHA). Through NISHTHA, National Resource Groups are trained in Education Technology and Digital Teachers are certified.

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