India has made remarkable progress in schools electrification over the past decade. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently announced that 91.8% of schools across the country now have access to electricity, a significant leap from 53% in 2013-14. This achievement underscores the government’s efforts to strengthen educational infrastructure and create better learning environments for students.
The improvement is part of a broader initiative to address infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural and underserved areas. As per Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data, the electrification rate in schools has shown steady growth over recent years. In 2019-20, 80.16% of schools had electricity, rising to 86.58% by 2021-22. Union Territories like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Puducherry now boast 100% electrification, while states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat report near-total coverage.
However, regional disparities persist. Rural schools, particularly in northeastern states, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir, face challenges in accessing functional electricity. These gaps highlight the need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable infrastructure development across urban and rural regions.
Electricity in schools goes beyond powering lights and fans. It serves as a foundation for modernizing education, enabling smart classrooms, computer labs, and audio-visual learning tools. For rural and government schools, electrification is transformative, providing students access to digital learning and bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary education systems.
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This achievement is a testament to the government’s focus on holistic educational reforms. The drive toward electrification aligns with broader goals of enhancing learning outcomes and creating an environment where every child has access to quality education. However, addressing remaining challenges, such as ensuring reliable electricity in remote areas, will be essential to sustaining this progress.
India’s electrification journey reflects its commitment to empowering future generations through improved infrastructure and equitable access to educational resources, marking a significant step toward a brighter future.
