A recent report has found significant shortfalls in budgetary funding and utilisation in education. This has resulted in critical infrastructure gaps, according to a parliamentary panel on education.
For instance, the School Education department proposed to allocate ₹82570 crores. But only ₹59845 crores was allocated.
Only 56% of schools have electricity, with the lowest rates in Manipur and Madhya Pradesh.
Less than 57% of schools have playgrounds according to the UDISE 2017-18 survey. Almost three out of four government schools in Odisha did not have a playground as of 2018.
Almost 40% of schools did not have a boundary wall A total of 2613 projects were sanctioned in 2019-20. But only three had been completed in the first nine months of the financial year.
Only three laboratories had been built one each for physics, chemistry and biology, despite sanctioned funds for 1,343 labs.
135 libraries and 74 art/craft/culture rooms had been sanctioned. But none had been built with just three months left in the financial year.
At secondary schools, less than 5% of the facilities aimed at disabled students like ramps and special toilets had been completed.
Also read: Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds: parliamentary panel
