Shimla, March 23 — Enrolment in 12,404 government elementary schools across the state has halved over the past two decades, falling from 9.71 lakh in 2003-04 to 4.29 lakh in 2023-24, Education Minister Rohit Thakur told the Vidhan Sabha on Saturday.
Responding to a question from MLAs Rakesh Kalia, Pawan Kajal, and Randhir Sharma during Question Hour, Thakur said surplus staff in schools with low enrolment would be relocated to institutions in remote areas facing severe teacher shortages. “We have the same number of schools as in 2003-04, but enrolment has dropped by 50%, underlining the need for rationalisation,” he stated.
Thakur mentioned that the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) had significantly improved from 1:22 two decades ago to 1:11 in 2023-24—the highest in the country. In tribal areas, the ratio stands at 1:3. He informed the House that 3,395 posts of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs), 546 of headmasters, and 1,500 other teaching positions remain vacant. “We have sent a requisition to the State Public Service Commission to fill 937 TGT posts and 1,762 Junior Basic Teacher (JBT) posts,” he said.
Addressing the shortage of teachers in far-flung areas, Thakur said that while batch-wise appointments had been made over the past two years, vacancies still persist, especially in regions like Chamba. He assured the House that recruitments were underway to address the shortfall.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, responding to a query by Lahaul-Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana, clarified that there was no provision for subsidies on lift irrigation or water schemes. He raised concerns over rapidly receding glaciers, which he said had increased farmers’ dependence on irrigation as groundwater levels fall.
“Glaciers in the Chandra basin are receding at a rate of 2.4%, in the Bhaga basin at 3.2%, and in the Spiti sub-basin at 2.4%,” Agnihotri noted. He informed the House that the government had submitted a ₹1,269.29-crore detailed project report (DPR) to the Central Government for setting up 145 snow stupas, 1,100 snow racks, and snow points as part of snow harvesting initiatives.
Rana said Lahaul-Spiti, being an arid district, was in urgent need of snow harvesting measures to meet its growing water demands. Paonta Sahib MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhary stressed the need for a master plan to address the falling groundwater levels, given the increasing dependence of farmers on irrigation schemes.
