**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1462, answered on February 9, 2026, regarding the quality and accessibility of government schools in Karnataka. It outlines the steps taken by the government, the status of teacher vacancies and infrastructure gaps, and the outcomes achieved in terms of student enrolment and learning levels. The information provided is based on data from the last three years and the current year, including UDISE+ reports up to 2024-25 and the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Initiatives and Financial Assistance:**
* Education is under the Concurrent List, with most schools administered by States/UTs.
* The Central Government implements the Samagra Shiksha scheme nationwide, including in Karnataka, aligning with NEP 2020 for equitable quality education.
* Financial assistance is provided to States and UTs, including Karnataka, for textbooks, uniforms, teaching materials, transport, special training, and residential camps.
* The scheme supports Out of School Children (16-19 years) for completion of education and provides support for Children with Special Needs (CWSN).
* Financial assistance to States and UTs for improving accessibility, infrastructure development and strengthening, running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, construction of hostels.
* **Quality and Accessibility Improvement Measures in Karnataka:**
* Various state-led initiatives like Ganitha Ganaka, Marusinchana, and Gnanasetu are underway.
* Higher Primary Schools have been upgraded to Secondary schools.
* 100% Transport and Escort Allowance is provided to students traveling from remote habitations.
* **Teacher Recruitment and Deployment:**
* Teacher recruitment, service conditions, and deployment are managed by State Governments/UT administrations.
* Recruitment is continuous, with vacancies arising from retirement, resignation, and increased student enrollment.
* Teacher data is collected annually through UDISE+.
* **Teacher and Infrastructure Data (UDISE+ 2024-25):**
* Total teachers in Karnataka: 1,95,656
* Primary Teachers (1-5): 36,209
* Upper Primary Teachers (1-8): 98,157
* Upper Primary Teachers (6-8): 257
* Secondary Teachers (1-10): 8,463
* Secondary Teachers (6-10): 8,179
* Secondary Teachers (9-10): 25,420
* Higher Sec. Teachers (1-12): 1,948
* Higher Sec. Teachers (6-12): 2,272
* Higher Sec. Teachers (9-12): 10,204
* Higher Sec. Teachers (11-12): 4,547
* Infrastructure:
* Govt. Schools with Boys' Toilet: 95.8%
* Govt. Schools with Girls' Toilet: 98.8%
* Govt. Schools with Drinking Water: 99.9%
* Govt. Schools with Ramps: 87.8%
* Govt. Schools with Electricity: 98.9%
* Govt. Schools with Playground: 82.0%
* Govt. Schools with Boundary wall: 89.7%
* Govt. Schools with Library/Book Bank/Reading Corner: 99.1%
* **Student Enrolment and Learning Level (UDISE+ 2024-25 and PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024):**
* Student enrolment in Karnataka Government schools: 47,34,360.
* Grade-wise performance in Karnataka (Percent correct scores):
* Grade 3: Language (60), Math (57)
* Grade 6: Language (55), Math (45), The World around us (47)
* Grade 9: Language (51), Math (33), Science (37), Soc. Science (37)
**Impact Analysis**
**State Government of Karnataka**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing educational initiatives and ensuring quality and accessibility of schools. Manages teacher recruitment, deployment, and infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementing and monitoring programs to improve learning outcomes, address teacher vacancies and infrastructure gaps, and provide necessary resources.
**Students**
* **Impact:** Beneficiaries of improved school infrastructure, quality education, financial assistance, and various support programs.
* **Action Required:** Engage in learning activities, utilize available resources, and participate in educational programs.
**Teachers**
* **Impact:** Subject to recruitment, deployment, and service conditions managed by the State Government.
* **Action Required:** Continue teaching, provide support to students, and participate in training programs to enhance their skills.
**Central Government (Ministry of Education)**
* **Impact:** Provides financial assistance and centrally sponsored schemes to support States/UTs in improving education. Monitors the overall progress and provides guidance.
* **Action Required:** Continue providing support, monitoring the implementation of schemes, and guiding States/UTs to achieve educational goals.
Key Entities Referenced
Samagra Shiksha: Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education implemented throughout India, including Karnataka.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: The scheme is aligned with the recommendations of this policy document.
Karnataka: Indian state where steps were taken to improve quality of school education.
UDISE+: Unified District Information System for Education, used for collecting data on teachers and infrastructure.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1462
ANSWERED ON 09/02/2026
Quality and Accessibility of Government Schools in Karnataka
1462. Shri Basavaraj Bommai:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the steps taken by the Government to improve the quality and accessibility of school education in
Karnataka during the last three years and the current year;
(b) the current status of teacher vacancies and infrastructure gaps in Government schools in the State;
and
(c) the details of the outcomes achieved in terms of student enrolment and learning level?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a): The subject ‘Education’ is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and overwhelming majority
of the schools in the country comes under the administrative control of States/UTs.
The Central Government is implementing an integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School
Education - Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19 throughout the country including Karnataka covering
pre-school to class XII. The Scheme has been aligned with the recommendations of National
Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to ensure that all children have access to quality education
with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse
background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the
learning process.
Under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs including
Karnataka for providing various facilities to the children which include free textbooks and uniforms
to eligible children at elementary level, teaching learning materials, transport/escort facility up to
secondary level, special training for age appropriate admission of out of school children, seasonal
hostels/residential camps, special training centres, age-appropriate residential and non-residentialtraining, support to Out of School Children (16 to 19 years) for completion of education through
NIOS/SIOS, Holistic Progress Card, support to Children with Special Needs (CWSN).
Further, under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided to the States and UTs for
improving accessibility of School Education including development/strengthening of infrastructure of
Government schools, setting up, up-gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas,
construction of hostels for PVTGs under PM-JANMAN, setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Avasiya Vidyalayas, construction of hostels under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for
unsaturated ST population.
As informed by State Government of Karnataka, in order to improve the quality of school
education, various steps like Ganitha Ganaka (one to one, teacher-pupil, remote phone tutoring to
ensure that all students understand the basic operations of mathematics), Marusinchana (remedial
teaching to improve the learning gaps), Gnanasetu (AI assisted App which caters to additional
learning materials in various subjects) etc. have been undertaken by the State Government. Further,
for improving accessibility of school education, Higher Primary Schools have been upgraded to
Secondary schools, 100% Transport and Escort Allowance have been provided to students travelling
from remote habitations.
(b): The recruitment, service conditions and rational deployment of teachers are under the purview of
the respective State Governments/UT administrations. Further, recruitment is a continuous process
and vacancies arise due to a number of factors like retirement, resignation, increased requirement of
teachers because of the enhanced students’ strength, etc. The data regarding the vacant posts of
primary and secondary school teachers across the country, including in Karnataka, are maintained by
the respective States/UTs.
However, the Department collects information on the availability of teachers, infrastructure etc.
annually through Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) for all States/UTs. As
per the latest UDISE+ report i.e. UDISE+2024–25, the details of in-position teachers in Karnataka
across all Government schools at all levels is as follows:
Total Primary Upper Upper Secondary Secondary Secondary Higher Higher Higher Higher
(1–5) Primary Primary (1–10) (6–10) (9–10) Sec. Sec. Sec. Sec.
(1–8) (6–8) (1–12) (6–12) (9–12) (11-12)
1,95,656 36,209 98,157 257 8,463 8,179 25,420 1,948 2,272 10,204 4,547As per the UDISE+2024–25 report, the details of availability of infrastructure facilities in
Government schools in Karnataka are as follows:
Percentage (%) of Government Schools
Govt. Schools with Boys’ Toilet
95.8
Govt. Schools with Girls’ Toilet
98.8
Govt. Schools with Drinking Water
99.9
Govt. Schools with Ramps
87.8
Govt. Schools with Electricity
98.9
Govt. Schools with Playground
82.0
Govt. Schools with Boundary wall
89.7
Govt. Schools with Library/Book Bank/Reading Corner 99.1
(c): As per the latest UDISE+2024–25 report, 47,34,360 students were enrolled in the Government
schools in Karnataka.
The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 (formerly National Achievement Survey) was undertaken
in December, 2024 by the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH, NCERT under the aegis of the
Department of School Education & Literacy to understand the baseline performance under the
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in development of competencies among the students at the
end of the Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle stages (Grades 3, 6, and 9 respectively). The
Sarvekshan is designed as a system-level reflection on Learning Outcomes in India which
underscores critical competency, skill or infrastructural gaps at various stages of schooling. The
grade-wise overall performance of students in the State of Karnataka is as under –
Grade Subject Percent correct scores
Grade 3 Language 60
Math 57
Grade 6 Language 55
Math 45
The World around us 47
Grade 9 Language 51
Math 33
Science 37
Soc. Science 37
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