According to official sources, the infrastructure improvements that are planned include constructing additional classrooms and improving IT labs, recruiting teachers based on requirement, and creating additional amenities like toilets.

“It has been roughly estimated that the infrastructure of more than 7,000 schools, which have got additional admissions this academic year, should have to be improved,” a senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next. There are more than 45,000 government and aided schools functioning across the State, catering to more than 65 lakh students.

This year, the government and aided schools have reported about four lakh additional admissions this academic year. “As the admissions process is over, the exact figure of new student enrolments will also be derived shortly,” he said.

All district education officers have already been asked to inspect and identify the State-run schools that need infrastructure improvement due to additional admissions, the official said. “They were also instructed to prepare a detailed work plan and identify budget for it,” he said.

All such works would be carried out shortly on priority basis as per the requirement, he claimed. “The government is already in the process of recruiting teachers who were on the waitlist,” the official added.

All district education officers have been directed to identify land belonging to government schools that were encroached, he said. As schools were closed for more than one year, district level officials had reported that the lands of many institutions have been encroached. “All the lands that are illegally occupied will be recovered immediately,” he said.