Lok Sabha Question No. 4934 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Lack of Internet Connectivity in Rural Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Adhikari Deepak Dev

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4934

ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026

## Lack of Internet Connectivity in Rural Schools

4934. Shri Adhikari Deepak Dev:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has assessed the lack of internet connectivity in schools in rural areas in the country, if so, the details thereof;

(b)  the  total  number  and  percentage  at  schools  in  rural  areas  that  do  not  have  internet connectivity;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  impact  on  learning among  students  in Government schools in rural areas lacking internet connectivity; and

(d) if so, the details of the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d):  Education  is  part  of  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  most  of  the Government schools are under the administration of the State Government and its bodies. The Ministry  of  Education  implements  ICT  and  Digital  initiatives  under  Samagra  Shiksha  to enhance digital learning in Government schools across the country, including rural areas.

At present,  across  India,  9,33,987  (63.5%)  schools  have  internet  connection.  The  State/UT wise list of rural schools with internet connection as per UDISE+ FY2024-25 report has been annexed.

Availability  of  internet  connectivity  in  the  government  schools  in  rural  areas  enables dissemination  of  digital  content  to  teachers  and  students  through  Digital  Infrastructure  for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) It is the Nation's digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content for school education in States/UTs and QR coded Energised Textbooks (ETBs) for all grades (One Nation, One Digital platform). It also helps the students and teachers to get access to e-learning, teacher training, inclusive education, bridging the urban-rural education and  latest  technological  interventions  like  AI.  Reliable  internet  connectivity  acts  as  the backbone for effective outreach of these digital programmes.

The  Government  of  India,  in  the  Budget  2025,  has  announced  provision  of  broadband connectivity  to  all  Government  Secondary  schools  in  rural  areas,  under  the  'BharatNet' project to enhance digital infrastructure in remote areas by BSNL in a phased manner.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  OF  PART  (A)  TO  (D)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  4934  RAISED  BY  SHRI  ADHIKARI  DEEPAK  DEV, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 REGARDING 'LACK OF INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IN RURAL SCHOOLS'.

Table: State/UT wise number of schools having internet facility as per UDISE+ for FY2024-25

| S. No   | India/State/ UT                        | Total Schools   | Schools with internet facility available   | %of Schools with internet facility   |
|---------|----------------------------------------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|         | India                                  | 14,71,473       | 9,33,987                                   | 63.5%                                |
| 1       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands            | 408             | 264                                        | 64.7%                                |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                         | 61,317          | 60,731                                     | 99.0%                                |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                      | 3,229           | 1,086                                      | 33.6%                                |
| 4       | Assam                                  | 55,283          | 48,201                                     | 87.2%                                |
| 5       | Bihar                                  | 94,339          | 80,035                                     | 84.8%                                |
| 6       | Chandigarh                             | 207             | 207                                        | 100.0%                               |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                           | 56,802          | 36,511                                     | 64.3%                                |
| 8       | Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu | 433             | 431                                        | 99.5%                                |
| 9       | Delhi                                  | 5,556           | 5,556                                      | 100.0%                               |
| 10      | Goa                                    | 1,479           | 1,379                                      | 93.2%                                |
| 11      | Gujarat                                | 53,355          | 51,514                                     | 96.5%                                |
| 12      | Haryana                                | 23,494          | 18,539                                     | 78.9%                                |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                       | 17,330          | 11,011                                     | 63.5%                                |
| 14      | Jammu and Kashmir                      | 24,192          | 11,883                                     | 49.1%                                |
| 15      | Jharkhand                              | 44,376          | 25,715                                     | 57.9%                                |
| 16      | Karnataka                              | 74,859          | 37,921                                     | 50.7%                                |
| 17      | Kerala                                 | 15,757          | 14,442                                     | 91.7%                                |
| 18      | Ladakh                                 | 961             | 488                                        | 50.8%                                |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                            | 36              | 36                                         | 100.0%                               |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                         | 1,22,120        | 55,865                                     | 45.7%                                |
| 21      | Maharashtra                            | 1,08,250        | 78,084                                     | 72.1%                                |
| 22      | Manipur                                | 4,666           | 1,709                                      | 36.6%                                |
| 23      | Meghalaya                              | 14,587          | 3,858                                      | 26.4%                                |
| 24      | Mizoram                                | 3,974           | 2,580                                      | 64.9%                                |
| 25      | Nagaland                               | 2,750           | 1,622                                      | 59.0%                                |
| 26      | Odisha                                 | 61,565          | 51,588                                     | 83.8%                                |
| 27      | Puducherry                             | 763             | 760                                        | 99.6%                                |
| 28      | Punjab                                 | 27,281          | 24,249                                     | 88.9%                                |
| 29      | Rajasthan                              | 1,06,302        | 74,358                                     | 69.9%                                |
| 30      | Sikkim                                 | 1,245           | 643                                        | 51.6%                                |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                             | 57,935          | 49,211                                     | 84.9%                                |
| 32      | Telangana                              | 43,154          | 27,309                                     | 63.3%                                |
| 33      | Tripura                                | 4,943           | 2,059                                      | 41.7%                                |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                          | 2,62,358        | 1,20,465                                   | 45.9%                                |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                            | 22,452          | 16,236                                     | 72.3%                                |
| 36      | West Bengal                            | 93,715          | 17,441                                     | 18.6%                                |