Over 1.5L children in rural areas not going to school, Karnataka state tells HC

A door-to-door survey conducted by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) in panchayat limits across Karnataka has revealed that 33,344 children in the 6-18 age group and 1,26,245 children in the 3-6 group are not going to school.

While 9,716 children in the 6-18 group never enrolled in school, 72,094 children below three years had not enrolled in Anganwadis. The total number of children going to school is 32,14,257, the survey stated.

Around 90.96 per cent or 80,59,221 out of the total 88,55,659 families holding ration cards have been covered under the survey in rural areas of the State.

Another similar survey conducted in all municipality and urban local body limits by the Urban Development Department (UDD), excluding BBMP limits, found out that 8,718 children in the 6-18 age group are not going to school, while 4,842 never enrolled in school.

The survey has covered 79 per cent or 25,65,309 of the total 32,43,590 families in urban areas. In all, 9,25,820 children in the 6-18 age group are going to school. The survey in urban areas would be completed by August-end this year, the report stated.

The report was placed before the division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice NS Sanjay Gowda following the court’s directions in connection with a suo motu PIL.

Asking UDD to direct BBMP to conduct a similar survey in Bengaluru limits without waiting for its directions, the court said that it will issue directions on the steps to be taken by the government during the next date of hearing. It also directed that a notice be issued to the BBMP chief commissioner.

Amicus Curiae KN Phanindra said that though it was mandated that the survey had to be carried out for children of 0-14 years, it was commendable that the government did it for those in the 0-18 age group. He said that the percentage would increase if households without the ration card too are covered under the survey in rural areas.