State lags in nat’l school infra targets: Report

Bhopal: New data on school infrastructure show Madhya Pradesh lags behind national averages on several critical indicators, particularly functional sanitation, electricity and digital resources but has achieved broad coverage of basic facilities.

The Union Ministry of Education on Tuesday released a Report on Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025-26 on School Education in India.Madhya Pradesh’s 119,694 schools make up about 8.2% of India’s 1,466,682 institutions. The state reports strong provision of reading and recreational spaces: 117,616 schools (98.2%) have libraries, book banks or reading corners, and 113,236 schools (94.6%) have playgrounds — both rates above the national averages of 90.5% and 81.9% respectively.

These figures suggest the state has prioritised access to learning and play spaces more consistently than many other parts of the country.Sanitation figures present a mixed picture. While the raw counts of toilets in MP are high — 115,511 girls’ toilets and 114,991 boys’ toilets — the share of functional toilets is lower than the national average. Functional girls’ toilets are present in 109,323 schools (91.3%) and functional boys’ toilets in 108,615 schools (90.8%).

Nationally, functional girls’ toilets are recorded in 95.1% of schools and functional boys’ toilets in 92.3%.The shortfall implies that maintenance and usability remain concerns even where facilities exist.Electrification and digital access also trail national levels. Electricity is available in 111,976 Madhya Pradesh schools (93.6%), compared with 95.1% nationally; functional electricity is reported in 108,518 MP schools (90.7%), versus 93.5% across India.The gulf is more pronounced for technology and renewable energy: only 2,920 MP schools (2.4%) report digital libraries, against 104,765 schools (7.1%) nationally. Solar panel adoption is similarly low in the state, with 6,748 schools (5.6%) equipped versus 168,000 schools (11.4%) nationwide.Education experts say these gaps could affect learning quality and the state’s ability to implement digital classrooms and green-energy initiatives at scale.

“Physical access to facilities is commendable,” a senior education official commented, “but functionality and technology adoption need urgent attention to translate infrastructure into better outcomes.”The findings point to clear priorities for policymakers: strengthen maintenance regimes to ensure toilets and electricity remain functional, and accelerate investment in digital resources and solar power — especially in under-served districts.Doing so would not only close the remaining gaps with national benchmarks but also bolster efforts to improve learning environments and support long-term education goals across Madhya Pradesh.