Amid CJP checks, Rajasthan govt admits 611 schools lack buildings

Rajasthan’s school infrastructure crisis has come into sharper focus after the state government admitted in the Assembly on Saturday (August 22) that 611 government schools across the state are functioning without their own buildings.

The disclosure comes amid the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ongoing “School Thik Karo” (Fix the Schools) campaign, which has been inspecting government schools and highlighting gaps in basic infrastructure.

The BJP government, while acknowledging the shortage, blamed the previous Congress government led by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot for the poor state of government schools.

The disclosure was made in response to a question raised by Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully. According to Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data for 2025-26 under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, quoted by India Today, 611 government schools in Rajasthan do not have their own buildings.

BJP: 'Sin' inherited from Congress

The government described the condition of government schools as a “sin” inherited from the previous Congress regime and said the current administration was working to address it.

Also read: CJP launches ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign, demands private school fee cap

The issue came into focus after the Jhalawar school building collapse in July last year, in which at least seven students were killed and 28 injured when the roof collapsed as students gathered for morning prayers.

The latest data shows that the problem extends beyond buildings. Of the 64,484 government schools that have their own buildings, 2,047 do not have functional toilets, while 1,049 lack basic drinking water facilities.

Jaipur has 38 schools functioning without their own buildings, while Aklera block in Jhalawar district has the highest number, with 23. Of the 611 schools without buildings, 10 are girls-only schools.

CJP delegation 'attacked'

The disclosure comes amid the CJP’s statewide campaign to inspect government schools and document their infrastructure.

On August 21, a CJP delegation led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka was allegedly attacked near Rampura Kanwarpura village in Jaipur’s Bagru constituency while on its way to inspect a government school. Ranka alleged that the attackers were BJP workers.

Also read: ‘Use Rs 8,500 cr PM CARES Fund to improve rural schools’: CJP’s Dipke

“They attacked us and fractured the arm of one of our volunteers,” he said.

Ranka had earlier highlighted the condition of the primary school in Rampura Kanwarpura, claiming that its main building had become unsafe after portions of its roof and beams deteriorated. Students were reportedly shifted to a shed around 50 metres away, where they attend classes under a tin roof. Ranka also claimed that animal fodder was lying inside the shed and bricks had fallen from parts of the structure.

Following the alleged refusal to allow the CJP team to inspect schools, the party issued a 48-hour ultimatum seeking the education minister’s resignation and warned of another agitation.

Govt announces funds

The Rajasthan government has allocated Rs 450 crore to construct buildings for schools without proper infrastructure or operating from unsafe structures. Another Rs 550 crore has been earmarked for repairs and renovation.

It has also announced a Rs 12,500-crore five-year roadmap to upgrade public school infrastructure across the state.