Assam Schools Face Power and Toilet Shortages

Guwahati: Hundreds of government schools in Assam remain in the dark. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu confirmed that 676 schools across the state lack electricity. That is 1.53 percent of the 44,243 total schools. The state set aside Rs 4 crore this year to bring power to these buildings. Some 643 other schools manage to function using solar systems instead of the grid.

Sanitation remains another hurdle. Pegu reported that while every school now has a girls' toilet, 283 schools still lack facilities for boys. Crews started building those missing toilets during this financial year. The minister noted that 676 schools "currently lack any form of electricity."

The state is also pushing a digital shift. Currently, 10,033 out of 10,965 managed schools offer some digital learning tools like ICT labs. Officials will add 328 more labs this year. Pegu expects to hit full saturation across all school infrastructure needs by March 2027.