Kumar Bahukhandi
Chhattisgarh has reopened 421 schools in the Bastar division under the Niyad Nellanar scheme. Illustration: channel24india.com.
More than 16 lakh tribal students are enrolled in Classes 1–12 across the state. Mother-tongue teaching and new hostels are part of efforts to improve access to education in remote areas.
Key Highlights
- Chhattisgarh reopened 421 of 458 previously closed schools under Niyad Nellanar by 30 October 2026.
- Tribal students account for 31.27 per cent of school enrolment in Classes 1–12, with more than 13.28 lakh attending government schools.
- About 3.60 lakh children are learning in their mother tongue at government primary schools, and 82 new hostels are being built under two tribal development programmes.
Raipur: Chhattisgarh has reopened 421 previously closed schools under the Niyad Nellanar scheme, restoring access to classrooms for children in remote and Naxal-affected areas of the Bastar division. The state had identified 458 closed schools, of which 421 had reopened by 30 October 2026. The effort covers districts including Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Dantewada.
The figures, shared ahead of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, point to the scale of the state’s tribal education programme. Of the 51,56,691 students enrolled in Classes 1–12 across Chhattisgarh, 16,12,748 are from tribal communities. Government schools account for 13,28,816 of those students.
Scholarships, bicycles and residential schools
The School Education Department has provided scholarships to more than 7.80 lakh students. Under the Saraswati Cycle Scheme, 54,225 girls received bicycles to help them travel to school. About 10 lakh students received free uniforms and 14 lakh received free textbooks.
Residential facilities serve children for whom a daily journey to school can be difficult. The state operates 60 Pota Cabin residential schools in districts including Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma. It also runs 121 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas to support girls’ education.
Another 82 hostels are under construction. Of these, 40 are being built under PM-JANMAN, including 25 with 50 places each and 15 with 100 places each. The other 42 are being built under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
Children learn in local languages
Teaching materials have been developed in Gondi, Halbi, Bhatri and Kurukh to help children begin learning in languages they use at home. About 3.60 lakh children in 13,035 government primary schools are being taught in their mother tongue through this initiative.
Chhattisgarh has also introduced smart classrooms in 5,857 schools and set up information and communication technology labs in 1,388 schools. Under the PM SHRI scheme, 1,55,341 students have access to upgraded learning facilities. Eligible students from disadvantaged groups can also receive reimbursement of open-school examination fees.
