177 Himachal Pradesh schools have no buildings; over 1,500 shut in 3 years

177 government schools in Himachal Pradesh are currently running without buildings of their own, with students attending classes in rest houses, community centres, Panchayat buildings and private premises.Education Minister Rohit Thakur told the state Assembly on Thursday that 1,526 schools had been closed in the state over the past three years. The figures were shared in response to a question by BJP MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal on the final day of the monsoon session.WHERE ARE THE STUDENTS STUDYING?The schools without their own buildings are being run from alternate premises, including other government schools, private buildings, rest houses, community centres, Mahila Mandal halls and Panchayat buildings.Twelve of these schools had been declared unsafe following natural disasters, the minister said. One such example is the Government Senior Secondary School at Kunra in Chamba district. Its original building was declared unsafe after a disaster, forcing the school to shift to a Public Works Department rest house.The school now operates from four rooms there and has 99 students. The government has started acquiring land for a new building, but there is no fixed deadline for its completion.WHY ARE NEW BUILDINGS TAKING TIME? Construction is under way for 28 school buildings, while funds have been released for 14 others, according to the government.However, work on the remaining buildings has not moved ahead because land is either unavailable or acquisition is still pending.For several schools, finding suitable land is proving to be the bigger hurdle.CLOSED SCHOOLS, NEW USESOf the 1,526 schools closed over the past three years, the Education Department owns the buildings of 1,473.Thakur said 577 of these buildings have since been handed over to other departments or community bodies, as required.The buildings are now being used for Panchayati Raj, Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, Anganwadi centres, health and AYUSH services, animal husbandry, environment-related work and temple committees.Fifty-three closed schools had earlier operated from private or rented premises, meaning the Education Department has no government building associated with them.The figures highlight a challenge for Himachal Pradesh: while some school buildings have found new public uses after closures, 177 schools are still waiting for permanent spaces.(With PTI inputs)- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 4, 2026 17:59 IST