Archive · 18 Sep 2026
1.5 Lakh Sandipani Students Still Await Promised Bus Services
Many students in Madhya Pradesh are still waiting for school buses.
The buses were promised when nearby government schools were merged into larger Sandipani schools.
About 1.5 lakh students at 125 schools have not received the service.
The affected schools are in 19 districts.
The government started the first phase of the programme nearly three years ago.
Officials tried to arrange buses through tenders, but some tenders were not completed.
A statewide plan using one bus agency has also not been finalized.
The planned buses would collect younger children within one kilometre and older students within two kilometres of their schools.
Nearly 1.5 lakh students at 125 Sandipani schools in 19 Madhya Pradesh districts remain without promised bus services.
The transport facility was assured after about 2,500 government schools were merged into Sandipani schools.
Bus tenders were completed in seven divisions but remain unresolved in Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sagar divisions.
A proposed centralized tender for one agency to operate buses statewide has not progressed beyond the tender stage.
The planned service would cover younger students within one kilometre and Classes 6 to 12 within two kilometres of schools.
- Who
- Nearly 1.5 lakh students attending 125 Sandipani schools, along with their parents and the Madhya Pradesh school education department.
- What
- Promised bus services have not started at 125 Sandipani schools.
- When
- Nearly three years after the first phase began; services had been planned from July 2023.
- Where
- Across 19 Madhya Pradesh districts, particularly areas under the Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sagar divisions.
- Why
- Government schools were merged into Sandipani schools, increasing the need for transportation, but bus tenders remain unfinished.
- Affected students
- Nearly 1.5 lakh
- Schools without buses
- 125 Sandipani schools
- Affected districts
- 19 districts
- Total Sandipani enrollment
- About 3.64 lakh students statewide
- First-phase schools
- 276
- Planned statewide schools
- Nearly 1,000
- Tender status
- Completed in seven divisions but unresolved in Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sagar divisions