Facing protests from CJP and impending local polls, Rajasthan government unveils ₹12,500-crore school overhaul plan

Facing mounting heat from CJP’s nationwide ‘School Thik Karo’ movement, the Indian National Congress joining calls for government school inspections, and upcoming local body elections, BJP’s Bhajan Lal Sharma government has introduced a three-year, ₹12,500-crore plan to revamp school infrastructure.

Announced late Saturday evening, the decision follows a week of backlash and public protest over restrictions against visiting and recording inside government schools, an alleged attack on CJP workers, and intense pressure from the Congress in the Assembly.

Political observers regard the move as a strategy to deflect attention from increasing demands for foundational public infrastructure. While the issue extends beyond the governing party, the timing of the protests, occurring right before local body polls, has created a challenge for the ruling BJP.


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“CJP’s call to citizens to visit govt schools and document their condition, followed by Congress making school infrastructure a political issue, has given the campaign momentum. Allowing the issue to remain unanswered would have allowed the opposition to define the narrative ahead of local body elections,” noted a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.

Under the blueprint:

• New School Buildings: 3,587 structures will be built for ₹2,487.7 crore.
• Classroom Expansion: 83,783 classrooms will be constructed with an allocation of ₹8,378.3 crore.
• Major Repairs: 22,589 schools will undergo overhaul costing ₹1,129.5 crore.
• Sanitation Facilities: 13,616 toilet complexes are scheduled at a cost of ₹340.4 crore.

The government stated that over ₹3,006 crore in school development projects have already been approved or are currently underway.

Additionally, the government’s digital education strategy sets aside ₹1,087 crore to be spent by December 2026. This fund covers 9,000 smart classrooms, 7,000 information and communication technology (ICT) labs, and 80,000 tablets.

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The government also noted that during 2024-25 and 2025-26, approval was granted for 3,364 major construction and repair initiatives totaling ₹1,219.9 crore, comprising 614 new school buildings and major repairs across 2,750 schools.

(With inputs from TOI)