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

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

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog