GUWAHATI | Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has said that 676 government schools across the state are still without electricity, while 283 schools do not yet have boys’ toilets, as the government pushes to ensure all educational institutions are equipped with basic infrastructure by March 2027.

Sharing the details on social media platform X, Pegu said the schools lacking electricity constitute just 1.53 per cent of the state’s 44,243 government schools. To address the shortfall, the government has earmarked Rs 4 crore in the current financial year to provide power connections to all remaining schools.

The minister noted that while these institutions await grid connectivity, another 643 schools that do not have access to conventional electricity have already been provided with solar power systems to support their daily operations and educational activities.

Highlighting progress in sanitation infrastructure, Pegu said all government schools in Assam now have dedicated toilet facilities for girls. However, 283 schools-around 0.64 per cent of the total-are yet to be provided with boys’ toilets. Construction work for these facilities has already commenced during the ongoing financial year, he added.

The minister also pointed to significant strides in strengthening digital learning infrastructure across the state’s education system. Of the 10,965 schools directly managed by the Assam government, 10,033 have already been equipped with at least one digital education facility, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories, Tele-Education centres or Smart Classrooms.

According to the data shared by the minister, only a small number of schools remain outside the digital network. The government plans to establish ICT laboratories in 328 additional schools during the current financial year, which will further reduce the number of institutions without digital learning facilities to 608.

Pegu said a roadmap has been prepared to extend digital infrastructure to all remaining schools in the next financial year. The objective, he added, is to ensure that every government school in Assam has access to essential educational and physical infrastructure by March 2027.

The state’s efforts form part of a broader push to improve learning conditions, bridge infrastructure gaps and expand access to technology-enabled education, particularly in rural and remote areas. Officials believe that universal access to electricity, sanitation and digital facilities will play a key role in enhancing the quality of education and creating a more inclusive learning environment across Assam.