In a sweeping order that exposes the scale of Rajasthan’s crumbling public education infrastructure, the Rajasthan High Court has directed the immediate closure of more than 86,000 unsafe classrooms in government schools. 

The move follows a tragic roof collapse in Jhalawar that claimed lives and sparked statewide alarm over student safety.

The court ordered that the dilapidated classrooms be locked and barred from use, while directing engineers to conduct a technical safety verification of school infrastructure by September 4. 

Judges stressed that authorities must urgently arrange alternatives so that children’s education is not disrupted.

Survey exposes structural failures across schools

A state survey conducted after the Jhalawar incident revealed alarming gaps: of 5.26 lakh classrooms across 63,018 government schools, nearly 87,000 were declared unfit for use. 

At least 5,667 schools were found entirely unsafe, raising fears for thousands of students who study in hazardous conditions.

Sanitation infrastructure was equally dire: 17,109 toilets were dilapidated, while another 29,093 needed immediate repairs, highlighting years of neglect.

Mounting tragedies and pressure

The urgency of the crisis was underscored by another recent accident in Jaisalmer, where a collapsing school gate injured several students. 

Public anger has since surged, amplified by viral images of classrooms with cracked ceilings, flooded floors and unsafe facilities.

A separate survey showed nearly 5,500 schools—about 9% of those inspected—require complete rebuilding.

Civil society groups, parents, and teachers have demanded structural reforms, calling the neglect of children’s safety “institutional failure.”

Govt scrambles to respond

Even before the High Court’s ruling, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma had instructed officials to conduct rapid inspections of all schools, hospitals, and public buildings.

A technical expert panel was tasked with producing a comprehensive report within five days.

Yet reports from the ground suggest troubling gaps: some school principals were allegedly pressured to certify unsafe buildings as “safe,” raising questions about accountability.

With the court now stepping in, Rajasthan’s education system faces a reckoning—where children’s right to safety can no longer be compromised for bureaucratic convenience.