‘School Thik Karo’: Students turn cameras on government schools, flag infrastructure gaps

Students and young participants from different parts of India are turning cameras on government schools as part of the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign launched by CJP, with videos shared on social media showing damaged infrastructure, poor sanitation and neglected classrooms.

The campaign was launched on 15 August by CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke in Hingoli, Maharashtra, with the stated aim of carrying out social audits of government schools and highlighting deficiencies in basic facilities.

Videos shared under the campaign show participants inspecting school buildings and documenting their condition. Among the locations featured are schools in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Karnataka and other parts of the country.

One video from Patharwada in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, shows a government primary school and its surrounding premises being inspected. Another video labelled as an inspection of a school in Mizoram shows a school compound and its classrooms, while other clips feature schools in Dehradun, Nalanda and Bhagwanpur.

A separate video from Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru focuses on the condition of a government school’s sanitation facilities. The video shows a washroom with water on the floor, a toilet area outside a classroom and garbage around parts of the school premises.

Damaged roofs, crumbling classrooms

One of the videos shows a government school building with extensive deterioration inside its classrooms. Sections of the ceiling appear damaged, with exposed structural material visible across large portions of the roof.

The classroom walls also show signs of ageing and deterioration, while the floor and surrounding areas appear poorly maintained.

Another inspection video shows damaged and weathered walls, old doors and a school structure surrounded by overgrown vegetation. The participant walks through different parts of the premises, including rooms that appear to be in poor condition.

A separate clip shows a school classroom with a severely damaged ceiling and exposed roofing material. The video also draws attention to the condition of the classroom floor and surrounding infrastructure.

The videos are part of a wider stream of social-media posts using the #SchoolThikKaro hashtag, with participants recording the condition of schools in their respective areas.

Campaign seeks nationwide school audit

Dipke launched the campaign from his native village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Independence Day. The first audit conducted by him at a local government school highlighted deficiencies in basic amenities and infrastructure.

The campaign calls on people to inspect government schools and document their condition, with the material being shared publicly.

The videos coming in from different parts of the country show a range of problems, from damaged ceilings and walls to sanitation and maintenance issues.

The initiative has also drawn attention from authorities. In Rajasthan, the state education department introduced a rule on Sunday requiring outsiders to obtain prior approval before entering school premises, following the launch of the campaign. CJP has criticised the move, saying it could restrict efforts to inspect and document school infrastructure.

The campaign comes amid wider concerns over the condition of government schools, particularly the availability of basic infrastructure and facilities. CJP has said the exercise is intended to push authorities to address such deficiencies rather than merely document them.