Lok Sabha Question No. 335 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Government Schools without Basic Amenities
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO - 335

## ANSWERED ON 16/03/2026

## Government Schools without Basic Amenities

*335. Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke:

Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  the  number  of  Government  schools  lacking  basic  amenities  including  toilets,  drinking  water  and electricity across the States in the country, particularly district-wise details of Maharashtra and the UT of

Dadra and Nagar Haveli;

(b) the details of progressive steps taken by the Government to ensure availability of basic amenities and increase enrolments of students in schools in the country particularly in Maharashtra and Dadra & Nagar

Haveli; and

(c) the number of schools closed down due to insufficient number of students during the year 2025-2026

along with the reasons for the said closures, district-wise in the above said State and UT?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (C)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 335 ANSWERED ON 16/03/2026 ASKED BY HONB'LE MP'S SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE AND DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE REGARDING 'GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS WITHOUT BASIC AMENITIES'

(a):  As per Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25, State/UT-wise and  district-wise  percentage  of  government  schools  not  having  basic  amenities  including  toilets, drinking water and electricity, for the state of Maharashtra and the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques.

(b)  Under the Centrally Sponsored schemes like Samagra Shiksha, STARS and PM Shri, States/UTs are supported for strengthening of existing government schools, and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure  facilities  like  Additional  Classrooms,  Toilets  for  Boys/Girls/CWSN,  Drinking  Water, Electricity, Boundary Walls, Library, ICT and Digital Classrooms, based on the gaps determined from Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education  plus  (UDISE+)  database  and  proposals  received from respective State/UT. The requirement of infrastructural facilities in schools is worked out every year by the respective State/UT on incremental basis depending on their need and priority and reflected in their Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B). These plans are then appraised and approved by Project  Approval  Board  (PAB)  in  consultation  with  the  States/UTs  as  per  the  programmatic  and financial  norms  of  the  scheme,  physical  and  financial  progress  of  works  sanctioned  earlier  and availability of budgetary resources.

Also,  Central  Government  assist  States  and  UTs  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha and hot cooked meal provided from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna. Financial assistance/grant is also provided to the States/UTs  for  various  activities  to  reduce  dropout  and  increase  enrolment  in  Government  schools, which  include  opening/strengthening  of  new  schools  up  to  Senior  Secondary  level,  strengthening school infrastructure, setting up and up gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) upto class 12, setting up of residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya  Vidyalayas,  hostels  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan  (PMJANMAN)  and  Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan  (DAJGUA),  transport  allowance, undertaking  enrolment  drives,  seasonal  hostels/residential  camps,  provision  of  vocational  education and ICT facilities in schools, providing free text books and free uniform, transport/escort facility, etc, financial assistance/grant is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs.

(c)  Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and the opening, closing and rationalisation of schools are within the purview of respective State Government and UT Administration. The Right of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009  provides  children's  access  to elementary schools within the defined area or limits of neighbourhood. In pursuance to Section 6 of the RTE Act, all States have notified area or limits of their neighbourhood norms. Further, Section 8 of the RTE Act, 2009 also mandates that the appropriate government shall provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child and will ensure availability of neighbourhood schools.

As  per  UDISE+  2023-24  and  2024-25,  District-wise  number  of  schools  for  the  State  of Maharashtra  and  UT  of  Dadra  and  Nagar  Haveli  and  Daman  &  Diu  as  reported  are  available  at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques.