As CJP turns up heat, audit reveals 611 Rajasthan schools lack buildings

A recent audit revealed that 611 government schools in Rajasthan are operating without dedicated buildings, prompting increased scrutiny of the state’s educational infrastructure. This revelation came during a session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, where the government acknowledged the findings and attributed the shortcomings to the previous Congress-led administration. The disclosure follows heightened attention on school safety and conditions, especially after a team from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) faced an attack while investigating a school allegedly using a cowshed as a classroom. The Rajasthan government disclosed the figure in response to questions raised by the Leader of Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, who used the audit to challenge the administration’s readiness to tackle the infrastructure crisis. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data for 2025-26 under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, 611 government schools in the state currently lack proper buildings, including 10 girls' schools. These numbers emerged just days after a CJP team, led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, was assaulted while traveling to inspect a government school in Bagru, near Jaipur. The controversy surrounding the school in Bagru stems from allegations that it operates from a cowshed after its original structure was deemed unsafe and subsequently closed. Students were reportedly moved to a temporary location following the closure. This incident highlights one of several issues related to inadequate infrastructure across Rajasthan. In Jaipur alone, there are 38 schools without buildings, while Jhalawar's Aklera block has the highest count at 23, followed by Khanpur with 16 and Jhalrapatan with 11. Other districts, such as Bap in Phalodi and Chotisarvan in Banswara, each host 11 and 10 such schools, respectively. Beyond the absence of buildings, the audit also uncovered deficiencies in essential facilities. Of the 64,484 government schools that have their own buildings, 2,047 lack toilet facilities and 1,049 do not have access to drinking water. Banswara leads in the number of schools without toilets, with 188, followed by Dungarpur with 124 and Udaipur with 98. Dausa has the highest number of schools without drinking water facilities, totaling 96. In response to these challenges, the Rajasthan government announced plans to allocate ₹550 crore for the repair and renovation of existing schools and ₹450 crore for constructing new buildings for schools lacking them or those operating from deteriorating structures. Additionally, the government stated that ₹2,500 crore annually, amounting to ₹12,500 crore over five years, would be accessible for the construction, repair, and maintenance of school buildings through various funding sources. Despite these allocations, the Leader of Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, criticized the government’s approach, citing the audit to argue that it lacks a comprehensive strategy to resolve the infrastructure crisis. He pointed out that 3,768 government schools have been labeled entirely dilapidated and unsafe, with 83,783 schoolrooms also deemed unfit for use. Jully claimed that the poor condition of schools has resulted in closures or shifts, impacting student enrollment. He further noted that the Rajasthan High Court has reprimanded the government regarding the state of schools. The government, however, maintains that enhancing school buildings, toilets, and other fundamental facilities remains a top priority. It continues to emphasize its commitment to addressing these concerns through the proposed financial measures and ongoing efforts to improve educational infrastructure across the state.