A lone ‘shiksha mitra' is in charge of handling 225 children due to a lack of teachers at a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, an official said.

Before the COVID-induced lockdown last year, two teachers were posted at the school in Khanpur village, Umesh Kumar, a member of district panchayat, said on Wednesday.

While one of the teachers died, the other has been on leave, said Kumar, who has asked the district magistrate to appoint more teachers.

A ‘Shiksha Mitra' is a primary school teacher appointed by the Basic Shiksha Parishad (Education Board) of the Uttar Pradesh government, under its Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011.