By Click Hind Investigations Desk
Location: Jharkhand | Bihar | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal
In what appears to be one of India’s most overlooked education scams, an investigation by Click Hind reveals the widespread presence of “ghost schools” — government-funded institutions that exist only on paper.
Over the past five years, central and state governments have collectively spent over ₹3,500 crore on education infrastructure under schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. However, RTI responses, field surveys, and whistleblower testimonies suggest that thousands of these schools either have no buildings, no teachers, or no students — yet continue to receive full budgets.
Key Findings:
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More Than 6,000 Ghost Schools Identified: According to RTI data compiled from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, over 6,000 schools receive government funds but do not function.
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Fake Enrollments & Midday Meal Loot: Former education officers confirmed that ghost enrollments are used to siphon off midday meal funds. “Bags of rice are delivered to empty plots of land. No students, no meals — just stolen money,” said a former block education officer in Bihar.
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Teacher Salaries Disbursed to Non-existent Staff: In Chhattisgarh and Odisha, records show salaries being paid to over 800 “teachers” posted in schools that have been shut or abandoned for years.
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Collusion at Multiple Levels: Evidence points to collusion between village education committees, local panchayats, and district education officials. In one shocking case in UP, a single school with no students received ₹22 lakh in infrastructure development funds in the last two fiscal years.
Voices From the Ground:
Residents in villages like Karampur (UP) and Dhamtari (Chhattisgarh) told Click Hind reporters, “We’ve never had a school here. They just sign papers in Lucknow.”
Who Benefits?
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Contractors who pocket infrastructure funds.
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Officials who get kickbacks for approving fake schools.
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Local Politicians who use fake schools as a way to show development for electoral gain.
What Can Be Done?
Experts recommend:
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Mandatory geotagged school inspections.
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Public access to real-time school data.
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Third-party audits for all education schemes.
Government Response:
When reached for comment, a senior official from the Ministry of Education stated, “We are aware of some discrepancies and have begun internal audits.” However, no formal FIRs or disciplinary action have been initiated yet.
Conclusion:
While India celebrates rising literacy numbers, the dark underbelly of the education sector tells a different story — of corruption, fake records, and the theft of a future from rural children. Click Hind will continue to track the government’s action (or inaction) on this issue.
