1 week ago
India’s Gen Alpha School Protests Expose Official Data Gaps
Students at schools in several parts of India are protesting because their classrooms and facilities are in poor condition.
They say some roofs leak, toilets do not work, drinking water is dirty or unavailable, and there are not enough fans or teachers.
Government records say that nearly all government schools have toilets and drinking water.
However, reports from the protesting schools show that these facilities may not actually work properly.
The records are filled out by school principals.
Activists say principals may feel pressured to make their schools look better than they are.
Students have marched, held sit-ins and shared videos of their schools.
In some places, officials promised to make repairs after the protests.
Activists hope the demonstrations will lead to a larger movement to improve schools.
Students in several Indian states protested unsafe buildings, broken furniture, poor sanitation, water shortages and inadequate electricity.
The protests conflict with UDISE Plus figures claiming 99% of government schools have toilets and 99.6% have drinking water.
A review of five protesting schools found significant differences between portal data and students’ accounts, videos and news reports.
Activists say principals may report favorable conditions because they fear consequences for acknowledging problems.
The protests have prompted some official repair promises, but activists say broader improvements remain incomplete.
- Who
- School students, activists, school administrations and education officials; the protests were also supported by Cockroach Janata Party activists.
- What
- Students protested poor school infrastructure and highlighted discrepancies between official UDISE Plus data and conditions they described on the ground.
- Where
- Schools in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with related concerns discussed in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
- When
- The protests occurred in recent weeks; the article also references 2025–26 school data and a July 2025 school-roof collapse.
- Why
- Students demanded repairs, functional toilets, safe roads, clean water, electricity, fans, teachers and better school facilities.
Activists and Students
Official Records and Authorities
Reliability of school data
Activists and Students
Activists and students say UDISE Plus records often do not reflect whether facilities are safe, clean or actually usable. They point to videos, protests and school visits as evidence.
Official Records and Authorities
School administrations have submitted data reporting classrooms, toilets, drinking water, electricity and other facilities as available or functional. The article does not include responses from the relevant district officials to the discrepancies.
Reasons for the mismatch
Activists and Students
Activists say principals may feel pressure to submit favorable information because they fear that reporting failures could put their jobs at risk.
Official Records and Authorities
The government portal collects detailed school information through school administrations, but the article does not provide an official explanation for the reported discrepancies.
Response to protests
Activists and Students
Students and activists argue that protests are needed to force authorities to address unsafe buildings, sanitation, water, roads, electricity and staffing problems.
Official Records and Authorities
Authorities in some cases promised repairs or said steps were being taken to address students’ complaints; activists said that many repairs remained incomplete.
Key facts
- Official toilet figure
- UDISE Plus states that 99% of government schools have toilet facilities.
- Official drinking-water figure
- UDISE Plus states that 99.6% of government schools have drinking-water facilities.
- Schools examined
- Scroll examined portal data from five schools where students had been protesting.
- Alwar school
- The school reported six classrooms, two functional toilets and functional drinking water; students said only three rooms were usable and facilities were poor.
- Kishunpur school
- The school reported 19 classrooms, five functional toilets, electricity and a library; students reported broken furniture, leaking roofs, poor sanitation and water shortages.
- Gaya school
- The school reported functional toilets and drinking water, while students cited dysfunctional toilets, poor electricity, missing fans, poor water quality and poor midday meals.
- Jhalawar collapse
- A July 2025 classroom-roof collapse reportedly killed seven students and injured 27 others.
Quotes
Class 10 student, anonymous
Student at Government UPS Jodhawas school, Alwar
“The staff feels the need to paint a bright picture of the state of the school because they feel that their jobs would be at risk if they admit to failures in the school.”
scroll.in
“I’ve always been of the belief that the improvement of schools can only happen once it becomes a people’s movement.”
scroll.in
Sources
Related news
Gen Alpha Students Protest India’s Failing Government Schools
Gen Alpha protests sweep India demanding better schools and amenities
Uttar Pradesh Government Responds as Gen Alpha School Protests Spread
Uttar Pradesh Students Take School Complaints To Streets
School Protests Expose India’s Infrastructure Failures Amid State Pushback
Ayodhya Temple CEO Appointment Faces Opposition Donation Allegations
Telangana BJP Alleges Congress, BRS Avoid Hyderabad Liberation Day
Haryana sanitation workers’ strike puts BJP government under pressure
Rival NC-BJP Protests Roil J&K as Police Halt Marches
Shivakumar Calls BJP Padayatra Cover-Up for Internal Crisis
