India’s government schools, serving over 140 million children across the country, are facing a deepening crisis in 2025. Despite ambitious reforms and record-setting budgets, millions of students study in buildings with unsafe roofs, missing roads, unreliable electricity, and inadequate toilets. For many children, especially in rural and marginalized communities, every day at school is a fight for basic safety and dignity—reminding us that true educational progress demands more than just classrooms and enrollment numbers.
India’s government schools remain the backbone of education for millions of children, especially in rural and underprivileged areas. Despite incremental improvements in enrollment and educational initiatives, the physical conditions of many schools raise alarming concerns about safety, infrastructure, and equitable access to quality education.
Tragic incidents continue to remind us of unsafe school infrastructures. For example, in July 2025, a devastating roof collapse at Piplodi Government School in Rajasthan killed 7 children aged 7 to 13 and injured 27 others. Another similar incident in Barmer district killed 4 children and injured 17 due to a roof collapse aggravated by heavy rains. These incidents reflect a grave neglect of school building maintenance and safety audits, especially in older government schools. Investigations and government responses have promised compensation and rebuilding, but such tragedies remain a stark indicator of the infrastructural crisis.
In tribal and hilly areas, the lack of proper road infrastructure severely hampers children’s daily access to education. For example, in Andhra Pradesh’s Parvathipuram Manyam district, tribal students trek 3 kilometers daily through muddy, unsafe paths during monsoon to attend school. Similarly, in Mumbai’s Govandi area, a newly completed CBSE school building remains inaccessible for nearly 600 students due to the absence of a motorable road. Lack of safe and reliable roads poses risks in emergencies and deters consistent attendance.
Electricity access remains a critical issue in many government schools. A parliamentary panel recently reported that over 40% of government schools nationwide lack electricity and playgrounds, important for both safety and holistic development. Some Delhi government schools suffer from frequent outages or no power connection at all, disrupting lessons and suggesting solar power as a sustainable solution. Schools also face issues with irregular water supply, impacting sanitation and hygiene.
Many government schools lack adequate toilet facilities, especially separate toilets for boys and girls, which is essential for dignity and health. Although improvements have been made in some regions, this remains a major gap in ensuring a safe and welcoming school environment.
The Reality of Government Schools Across India in 2025:
India’s government schools educate millions, yet many continue to face infrastructure challenges, safety risks, and lack of basic amenities. A state-wise tour of these schools reveals stark disparities and poignant community voices, exposing the urgent need for reform to secure children’s futures.
Rajasthan: Tragedy in Piplodi and Government Neglect
In Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, the Piplodi Government School roof collapsed in July 2025, killing 7 children and injuring 27. Despite safety inspections, the dilapidated building wasn’t flagged unsafe, raising questions over negligence. Families recount heartbreak and demand justice and safer schools. The government pledged ₹1.5 billion for repairs and compensation, but survivors fear similar disasters in other neglected schools.
Andhra Pradesh: Tribal Students Battling Terrain and Access
In the Parvathipuram Manyam district, tribal children walk up to 3 km daily on muddy paths with no proper roads, risking safety especially during monsoons. Parents and tribal elders highlight the physical hardship and educational disruption caused by poor infrastructure. Andhra Pradesh’s ‘Nadu Nedu’ initiative aims to revamp over 15,000 schools with improved classrooms and facilities through transparent technology-led governance, reporting early success and inspiring nearby Telangana to adopt similar programs.
Uttar Pradesh: The Largest Network with Infrastructure Gaps
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of government schools at over 134,000, distributed mostly in rural areas. Reports indicate many lack adequate classrooms, toilets, and disabled-friendly facilities. Parents in remote villages stress that poor roads and erratic electricity make school attendance difficult for children. Initiatives for travel allowances and infrastructure upgrades are underway but face bureaucratic delays and local mismanagement.
Karnataka: Mixed Progress with Infrastructure and Policy
Karnataka shows pockets of progress such as strong education policy measures and rebuilds in Tumakuru using MGNREGA workers for toilets, walls, and playgrounds. However, many rural government schools still lack clean drinking water and separate toilets, affecting attendance for especially girls. The state government is working on English-medium sections in all schools to meet parental expectations and enhance learning outcomes.
Maharashtra: Urban Schools with Language and Resource Challenges
Maharashtra faces challenges related to the third-language policy leading to community pushback amid otherwise urban educational infrastructure. In Mumbai, some new government school buildings remain inaccessible without proper roads or local transport, especially impacting students from economically weaker sections. Electricity interruptions and water supply issues also affect school day routines.
Chhattisgarh and Tribal Areas: Language Barriers and Poverty
Tribal communities in Chhattisgarh highlight challenges of language barriers as their mother tongues differ from the official instruction medium, leading to poor comprehension and high dropout rates. Poverty forces many children to contribute to family income instead of schooling. School infrastructures are weak with common absenteeism by teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate facilities.
Interviews with Communities and Educators
▫️A mother in Jhalawar shares: "We send our children to school hoping for a better future, but how can they learn when the walls collapse on them?"
▫️A tribal elder in Andhra Pradesh says: "The rough path our children walk every day makes it harder to get educated. Roads and safe schools are their right."
▫️A teacher in Uttar Pradesh laments absenteeism due to lack of electricity and proper drinking water, "Children lose interest when they come to uncomfortable classrooms."
▫️Parents in Mumbai’s Govandi express frustration that a newly built school remains unusable due to missing roads, "Our children are left stranded despite promises."
Government Spending and Budget Allocation
The Indian government has allocated its highest-ever budget for school education in 2025-26 with ₹78,572 crore for the Department of School Education & Literacy, marking a 7% increase over the previous year. Special focus includes setting up 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs to foster innovation and an AI Centre of Excellence with ₹500 crore investment. However, spending falls short of the NEP 2020 target of 6% of GDP on education, currently at approximately 4.6% of GDP. Despite increased allocations, gaps remain in fund utilization and infrastructure upgrades.
Misuse of Funds and Corruption
Corruption and misappropriation remain significant challenges. Cases of fund diversion meant for student welfare and school infrastructure to private or political uses have been reported in Delhi and other urban centers. Officials in educational departments have faced suspensions and penalties for misusing funds allocated for marginalized groups or school development. Such malpractice diverts essential resources away from improving school quality and infrastructure.
While data show improvements in pupil-teacher ratios, rising gross enrollment, and digital connectivity in 63.5% of schools, government school enrollment is declining in several states as parents shift to private schools seeking better quality. Critical infrastructure deficiencies, safety hazards, and accessibility issues still plague schools, especially in rural, mountainous, and tribal areas of India.
Conclusion: An Urgent Call to Action
In this AI and technology-driven era, the physical foundations of education cannot be overlooked. A collapsing school building, unsafe travel roads, erratic electricity, and inadequate sanitation create barriers that threaten children's right to learn and thrive. The government’s budgetary commitments, while improved, must be matched by stringent oversight, corruption control, and direct investment in safe and accessible infrastructure nationwide.
This state-wise tour reveals that while some states are implementing promising reforms, many children still face unsafe buildings, inaccessible schools, lack of basic facilities, and inadequate electricity. Tribal and remote areas especially suffer from layered disadvantages including poor roads and language barriers. Political will, transparent spending, community involvement, and modern technology must be harnessed to transform India’s vast government school system into secure gateways to the future.
Only then can India’s children, especially the most vulnerable, build a future that stands steady and strong on the foundations of safe, inclusive education.
