Lucknow: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that five government primary schools in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district are listed as operational in official records, despite allegedly having no traceable physical presence on the ground.
Addressing reporters in Lucknow, Singh claimed that the schools continue to appear as functioning institutions on the government’s U-DISE portal, even though, according to him, there are no school buildings, teachers or students at the locations concerned.
₹1 Lakh Challenge to Find the Schools
In a dramatic challenge, Singh said he would give ₹1 lakh from his salary to anyone who could locate even one of the five allegedly “missing” schools.
He identified the schools as Primary School Dhalgar Tola, Primary School Misirpur Girls, Composite School Gadan Arzani, Primary School Urdu Bazar and Primary School Bagh Hashim. Singh said the names continue to be shown in government records as operational schools.
Questions Raised Over U-DISE Records
The AAP leader cited a communication from the local education authorities while questioning the discrepancy between official records and the alleged ground situation.
According to Singh, the issue raises serious questions about the accuracy of education data and whether schools that are no longer physically functioning are continuing to be recorded as operational. He demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government investigate the matter and explain why the institutions remain listed on the U-DISE system.
Allegations of Schools Operating from Rented Premises
Singh also alleged that the five schools had previously operated from rented buildings, which were subsequently handed back to their owners. Despite this, he claimed, the schools continued to be listed as operational on the government’s online education portal.
He said that if the schools could no longer be physically located, authorities should determine how their records continued to show them as functioning institutions. These allegations have been made by Singh and require verification through an official inquiry.
AAP Demands Accountability
The AAP MP accused the Uttar Pradesh government of failing to address problems highlighted in government schools. He also referred to previous cases in which party workers had allegedly raised concerns about poor infrastructure and claimed that action was taken against those who highlighted the issues rather than against officials responsible for improving conditions.
Singh said he would seek action in connection with the Jaunpur matter and could approach the courts if cases were not registered against officials found responsible after an investigation.
Official Response Awaited
The allegations have put the spotlight on the management and monitoring of school records in Uttar Pradesh. However, the claims about the five schools’ physical status are allegations made by Sanjay Singh, and an official response or independent verification of the discrepancy was not available in the reports reviewed.
A government investigation could help establish whether the schools have been incorrectly recorded, relocated, merged, closed or are affected by another administrative issue.
The matter is developing, and further clarification is expected from the Uttar Pradesh government and the education department.
