MP High Court Seeks State's Reply On PIL Over Teacher Shortage In Government Schools

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state government and the School Education Department on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging a severe shortage of teachers in government schools across the state.

The petition, filed by Indore resident Saurabh Tripathi, cites the 2025 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, claiming that 1,895 government schools in Madhya Pradesh have no teachers.

According to the petition, the state's public education system is facing serious administrative failures.

Despite an education budget exceeding Rs 7,000 crore, thousands of government schools continue to function without teachers, allegedly violating children's Right to Education.

The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal.

Taking prima facie note of the seriousness of the allegations, the High Court (HC) issued notices to the state government and the concerned authorities, seeking their response.

The court directed the government to explain the status of teacher recruitment, the utilisation of the education budget and the issues highlighted in the CAG report.

The petition also states that the deteriorating condition of the education system is reflected in students' academic performance. It points out that the Class 10 pass percentage declined from 67.74% in the 2018-19 academic session to 38.53% in 2021-22.