India Reports Over 100,000 Single-Teacher Schools, Says Government

On Wednesday, the Indian government provided an update to the Rajya Sabha regarding the status of teacher recruitment and deployment in government schools. The Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, addressed a query raised by Member of Parliament Randeep Singh Surjewala, clarifying that the responsibility for managing data related to sanctioned teacher strength, actual working strength, and vacancies lies with the respective State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations. This delineation is due to the fact that teacher recruitment falls under the administrative purview of these local authorities, as education is categorized under the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Chaudhary emphasized that the recruitment processes, service conditions, and deployment of teachers are managed by the concerned States and UTs, highlighting the decentralized nature of educational governance in India.

The Ministry of Education noted that teacher vacancies can arise for various reasons, including retirements, resignations, the establishment of new posts, adjustments in teacher deployment, and fluctuations in student enrollment, particularly in rural, tribal, and aspirational districts. To address these vacancies, the Centre regularly advises States and UTs to undertake transparent and merit-based recruitment processes. The Ministry also conducts periodic reviews to monitor progress in filling these teaching positions through meetings and advisories. According to the UDISE+ 2025-26 report, there are over 5.1 million teachers employed in government schools across the country, covering primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels. Alarmingly, the report indicates that India is home to 100,843 single-teacher schools across various management types, with Andhra Pradesh leading the count at 16,357 such institutions, followed by Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.