CRY survey: Implementation of right to education in Gujarat is "still elusive"

By Jag Jivan
A just-finalized survey sponsored by high-profile NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), in alliance with Buniyadi Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (BAAG), carried out in 243 schools of 17 districts, has found that assertions made by the state government about cent per cent success in implementing right to education (RTE) are false. CRY has said in a report based on the survey, “An analysis reveals that implementation of RTE in Gujarat is still elusive, and in many parameters government’s claim of 100 per cent achievement is debatable… Findings are indicative that reality may be grimmer.”
Pointing out that the “norm of separate classrooms has not been followed in half of the schools surveyed”, CRY says, “The survey has raised major concerns in terms of infrastructure”, with many schools not having separate room for principal, no staff rooms, no play grounds, no first aid facility, no science laboratory, no library facility, no space for indoor games, no room for storing material, no computers and televisions.” However, it adds, the situation in urban areas is “comparatively better than rural and tribal areas.”
Dividing 17 districts in seven regions, and providing data of each region separately, the survey of Narmada, Tapi and Surat districts show that only 55 per cent schools have separate classrooms for different standards, 66.7 per cent had have no separate room for principal, 61.1 per cent have no playground, 27.8 per cent are without firstaid facility, 58.3 per cent do not have science laboratory, 47.2 per cent have no computers, and 66.7 have no television.
In another region, consisting of Panchmahals, Dahod and Vadodara districts, 56 per cent schools have boundary wall, 50 per cent schools do not have separate classrooms for different standards, 56.4 per cent do not have separate room for principal, 53.8 per cent do not have staff room, 84.6 per cent do not have science laboratory, 59 do not have library facility, 66.7 per cent have no computers, and 51.3 per cent have no television. Further, 87 per cent of schools have toilets in working condition, and 51 per cent have soaps to wash hands.
In yet another region, consisting of Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Surendranagar districts, 58.5 per cent schools have boundary walls, 19 per cent have no separate room for principal, 41.4 per cent have no staff rooms, 86.2 per cent have no science laboratory, 65.5 per cent have no library facility, 58.6 per cent have no computers, and 72.4 per cent have no television.
In the region consisting of Porbandar and Dwarka districts, 18.4 per cent schools do not have separate room for principal, 18.4 per cent have no staff room, 10.5 per cent have no play ground, 81.6 per cent have no science laboratory, 47.4 per cent have no library facility, 89.5 per cent have no space for indoor games, 94.7 per cent have no computers, and 97.4 per cent have no television.
In the region consisting of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Arravali districts, 60 per cent of schools have boundary walls, 57.1 per cent have no separate room for principal, 74.1 per cent have no staff room, 38.1 per cent have no play ground, 57.1 per cent have no science laboratory, 64.3 per cent have no library, 23.8 per cent have no computers, and 50 per cent had no televisions.
In Kutch district, 61.9 per cent schools have no separate room for principal, none of the schools have any staff room, 23.8 per cent have no playground, 61.9 per cent have no science laboratory, 47.6 per cent have no library, 71.4 per cent are without computers, and 81 per cent are without television.
Even in Ahmedabad, 88 per cent schools have school boundaries, 40 per cent schools have separate classrooms for each standard, 16 per cent have no separate room for principal, 12 per cent have no staff room, 16 per cent have no playground, 80 per cent have no first aid facility, 88 per cent have no science laboratory, 48 per cent had no library, 80 per cent had no computers, and 88 per cent were without television. Further, eight per cent schools do have separate toilets for girls and boys.
The survey finds that in majority of schools, teachers were only 12th pass. Thus, in Ahmedabad’s 23 schools surveyed, in 19 schools have up to 12th pass teachers. The situation in other districts was found to be almost similar. In Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Arravali districts, things are worse, with 16 schools having education up to 10th standard. Very few schools have teachers with a graduate degree.

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

46% own nothing, 1% own 18%: The truth about India’s land inequality

By Vikas Meshram * “Agriculture is the backbone of India” — this is what we have been hearing for generations. But there is a pain hollowing out this backbone from within: the unequal distribution of land. On one hand, news of farmer suicides, indebtedness, and rural migration keeps coming; on the other, agricultural land across the country continues to concentrate in the hands of a few wealthy individuals.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar* Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

US study links ultra-processed diets to preterm birth, sparks concern in India

By Jag Jivan A growing body of scientific evidence linking ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption during pregnancy to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes has sparked fresh concern among public health experts, with Indian nutrition advocates warning of serious implications for the country’s already strained maternal health landscape.

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.

Search This Blog