Agartala, Oct 30: While the eight northeastern states of India boast impressive numbers on paper— nearly 5.75 lakh teachers serving around 1.06 crore students across 90,677 schools—the ground reality tells a starkly different story. The latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25 report, from the Union Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education & Literacy, reveals that thousands of toilets lie non-functional, computer facilities remain inoperative, and basic infrastructure continues to fail students across the region. As many as 5,078 schools lack functional toilets for girls, more than 28,000 have no internet connectivity, and 31,024 operate without proper electricity, exposing a massive infrastructure deficit that affects the daily learning experience of millions of children.
90,677 Schools, 1.05 Crore Students: One Region, Vastly Different Realities
The educational landscape of Northeast India presents a study in contrasts. The region collectively manages 90,677 schools with a total enrollment of 10,598,251 students and employs 5,74,890 teachers. However, the distribution of resources reveals significant disparities that raise questions about equitable access to quality education.
Assam dominates the regional educational landscape, accounting for 55,283 schools—representing 61% of all schools in the Northeast. The state serves 70,41,824 students with 3,40,471 teachers, making it the educational hub of the region. In stark contrast, Sikkim operates just 1,245 schools with 14,994 teachers serving 1,17,576 students, while Nagaland manages 2,750 schools with 33,131 teachers for 4,14,421 students.
Also read | Northeast India Receives Only 8.5% of Centre’s Total Rs 1.01 Lakh Crore Fund Release
Manipur, Tripura Deploy 60% Teachers to Higher Classes, Foundation Stage Neglected
While the region maintains what appears to be a healthy teacher presence overall, the distribution pattern tells a more complex story. Assam employs more than 59% of all teachers in the Northeast, with 3,40,471 educators on its rolls. However, the teacher distribution across school categories reveals potential inefficiencies in deployment strategies.
In Assam, 49.3% of teachers are posted at the secondary level, while only 30.9% serve at foundational and preparatory levels where early childhood education foundations are laid. This pattern of heavy concentration at higher levels is repeated across several states. Manipur assigns 60.1% of its 41,490 teachers to secondary schools, Tripura posts 59.9% of its 37,733 teachers at the secondary level, and Nagaland deploys 53.6% of its 33,131 teachers to secondary institutions.
In contrast, Arunachal Pradesh struggles with just 25,117 teachers for 3,19,826 students, with only 18.4% posted at foundational and preparatory levels despite 44.8% of schools operating at the foundation stage. Meghalaya, with 57,002 teachers, shows a more balanced approach with 41.9% serving foundational and preparatory levels, aligning better with the fact that 62.3% of its schools are foundation-level institutions.
9,668 Girls’ Toilets Built but Unusable, 9,000 Schools with Electricity That Doesn’t Work
The most alarming revelation from the UDISE+ data is not the absence of infrastructure, but its widespread non-functionality. Across the region, the gap between installed facilities and operational facilities exposes serious maintenance and resource allocation failures.
In Assam, while 52,679 schools have girls’ toilets, only 51,967 are functional—leaving 712 facilities unusable. The situation worsens for boys’ toilets, where 1,699 facilities remain non-functional out of 51,265 installed. The state reports 49,092 schools with electricity connections, yet only 40,092 have functional power supply—a deficit of 9,000 schools operating in darkness or with unreliable electricity.
Meghalaya presents an even grimmer picture. Out of 11,973 girls’ toilets, 1,957 are non-functional, and of 12,582 boys’ toilets, 2,135 remain unusable. The state has 4,475 schools with electricity, but only 4,095 have functional supply, leaving 380 schools without reliable power. Computer facilities show similar dysfunction, with 2,669 facilities available but only 2,552 operational.
Tripura’s data reveals 4,468 girls’ toilets with 748 non-functional units, and 4,548 boys’ toilets with 885 unusable. The state has managed to maintain better functionality in electricity supply, with 4,109 connections and 3,952 functional units. However, drinking water functionality remains perfect with all 4,820 facilities operational, setting an example for other states.
Manipur shows 3,894 girls’ toilets with 420 non-functional, and 4,010 boys’ toilets with 470 unusable. The state reports 3,262 schools with electricity but only 2,952 with functional supply, affecting 310 schools.
Also read | Tripura Partners with International Potato Center to Achieve Record Potato Production by 2030
Just 1,591 Digital Libraries for 90,677 Schools—Less Than 2% Coverage
The digital infrastructure deficit across Northeast India is perhaps the most concerning aspect of the UDISE+ report, particularly in an era where digital literacy is increasingly essential for educational competitiveness. The region’s schools remain woefully unprepared for technology-enabled learning.
Across all eight states, only 1,591 schools have digital libraries—less than two% of the total 90,677 schools. Assam, despite its size, has just 1,123 digital libraries for 55,283 schools. Tripura operates 140 digital libraries across 4,943 schools, while Sikkim has 79 for 1,245 schools. Mizoram has a mere five digital libraries across 3,974 schools, and Arunachal Pradesh reports just 43 digital libraries for 3,229 schools.
Internet connectivity tells an equally troubling story. Only 61,758 schools across the region have internet facilities, leaving 28,919 schools—nearly 32%—completely disconnected from digital resources. Assam leads with 48,201 schools having internet access, but this still leaves approximately 7,082 schools without connectivity. Meghalaya has internet in only 3,858 of its 14,587 schools, leaving over 10,000 schools digitally isolated. Tripura provides internet to 2,059 schools, leaving 2,884 without access.
Computer facilities show marginally better coverage but reveal the same functionality crisis seen across other infrastructure categories. The region has 58,410 schools with computer facilities, but only 51,265 have functional systems—a gap of 7,145 schools where computers exist but cannot be used. Assam reports 43,515 computer facilities but only 36,848 functional ones, leaving 6,667 schools with unusable equipment.
9,668 Girls’ Toilets Lie Broken, Threatening Education and Dignity of Thousands
The sanitation infrastructure across Northeast schools presents serious concerns for student health, safety, and dignity, particularly for girl students whose continued education often depends on access to proper toilet facilities.
Regionally, 87,715 girls’ toilets have been constructed, but only 78,047 are functional—leaving 9,668 toilets unusable. The situation for boys’ toilets is similarly concerning, with 82,696 facilities available but only 76,199 functional, creating a deficit of 6,497 unusable toilets.
Assam bears the largest burden of non-functional sanitation infrastructure in absolute numbers. With 712 non-functional girls’ toilets and 1,699 non-functional boys’ toilets, thousands of students face daily challenges in accessing basic sanitation facilities. Meghalaya’s 1,957 non-functional girls’ toilets and 2,135 non-functional boys’ toilets represent significant proportions given its school count.
Hand wash facilities, critical for basic hygiene and disease prevention, are available in 74,876 schools across the region, leaving 15,801 schools—17%—without this fundamental amenity. Assam has hand wash facilities in 51,426 schools, but 3,857 schools lack them. Meghalaya provides hand wash facilities to only 6,235 of its 14,587 schools, leaving 8,352 schools without this basic requirement.
Also read | ED, CBI Uncover Major Corruption in Manipur University, NHIDCL Projects
Just 17,472 CWSN Toilets for 90,677 Schools—Special Students Left Behind
Infrastructure for children with special needs remains severely inadequate across the region. Only 17,472 toilets designed for children with special needs exist across 90,677 schools—a coverage of just 19%. This means 81% of schools cannot adequately accommodate students with disabilities.
Assam, with 13,895 CWSN-friendly toilets, shows the highest absolute numbers but still covers only 25% of its schools. Meghalaya has just 547 such facilities for 14,587 schools—less than four% coverage. Tripura provides 693 CWSN toilets for 4,943 schools, covering 14%. Nagaland’s 271 facilities for 2,750 schools represent less than 10% coverage.
Ramp facilities, essential for wheelchair access, show similarly poor coverage. The region has 56,539 schools with ramps, covering 62% of all schools, but only 47,392 schools have both ramps and handrails—barely 52%. Assam provides ramps to 44,194 schools but handrails to only 39,269, leaving 4,925 ramps without adequate safety features.
Some Victories, Many Gaps: Where Northeast Schools Succeed and Fail
Some infrastructure categories show better progress, though gaps remain. Playground facilities are available in 70,389 schools—78% of the total. Assam leads with 45,594 school playgrounds, while Meghalaya provides playgrounds to 7,664 of its 14,587 schools. Libraries, book banks, or reading corners exist in 68,898 schools—76% coverage—with Assam accounting for 51,763 such facilities.
Kitchen gardens, important for nutrition education and supplementing mid-day meal programs, are present in 55,507 schools—61% of the total. Assam has established 43,155 kitchen gardens, Meghalaya 4,731, and Tripura 1,659.
Drinking water availability shows the strongest performance, with 84,660 schools—93%—having water facilities, and 83,683 of these being functional. All eight states report over 90% drinking water coverage, with Tripura and Sikkim achieving near-universal coverage at 97.5% and 99% respectively.
Medical checkups, crucial for student health monitoring, were conducted in 70,853 schools—78%—during the last year. However, this leaves nearly 20,000 schools where students did not receive medical screening. Assam conducted checkups in 46,609 schools, Meghalaya in 9,206, and Tripura recorded an exceptionally high 5,982 checkups despite having only 4,943 schools, suggesting some schools received multiple visits or the data includes checkup camps.
Rainwater harvesting, an important sustainability measure, remains largely neglected. Only 8,531 schools across the region have functional rainwater harvesting systems—less than 10%. Manipur leads proportionally with 1,081 functional systems for 4,666 schools—23% coverage. Mizoram has 1,823 functional systems for 3,974 schools—46% coverage, the highest in the region. In contrast, Tripura has just 136 functional systems, and Sikkim 145.
Solar panels, as alternative energy sources, are installed in 6,615 schools—seven% of the total. Assam has 3,821 solar installations, Manipur 792, and Meghalaya 624, but the overall coverage remains minimal.
Also read | PRIME Meghalaya Backs Traditional Healers with Science
5.75 Lakh Teachers Can’t Teach Effectively in Schools Where Nothing Works
The UDISE+ 2024-25 data for Northeast India reveals a region that has made significant investments in educational infrastructure and teacher deployment but struggles critically with maintenance, functionality, and modern facility provision. The presence of nearly 5.75 lakh teachers serving over one crore students demonstrates commitment to staffing, but the widespread infrastructure dysfunction undermines the learning environment these teachers work to create.
The data emphasizes an urgent need for focused attention on three fronts: ensuring the functionality of existing infrastructure through better maintenance systems, bridging the digital divide with serious investment in internet connectivity and digital learning resources, and addressing the accessibility crisis facing students with special needs. Without immediate corrective action, the paper promises of educational infrastructure will continue to ring hollow for millions of students across the Northeast who deserve learning environments that actually work.