Atal Bihari Vajpayee's slogan about children going to school is sounding again in the country's political circles. However, this time the debate is not only about literacy but also about modern classrooms, artificial intelligence-based education, and the future of youth.
The Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is engaged in the digital modernization of primary education, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is preparing to criticize the central and regional governments on issues of education and employment during the 'Voice of Students' event in Madhya Pradesh.
Following the 'Operation Kayakalp' program in the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Department, the second phase of the digital revolution has begun. The Yogi government cabinet approved a project to transform 14,429 government primary schools into 'smart schools.'
Key points of the 'Smart Classrooms' project:
- Budget: An initial budget of 300 million rupees has been approved.
- Allocation per school: Each accredited school will receive 207,910 rupees for smart classrooms.
- Digital infrastructure: The provision of smart TVs, 3D animation content, ICT labs, and digital libraries will be ensured.
- Responsibility: The responsibility for creating smart classrooms is placed on ShriTron India Limited.
Smart classrooms are already operational in over 32,000 basic schools in Uttar Pradesh, ICT labs have been installed in more than 15,000 schools, and over 261,000 teachers have received tablets. Nevertheless, the opposition has questioned the 300 million rupee budget. Congress and SPA leaders argue that Finance Minister Suresh Khanna already proposed this scheme as part of the overall education system during his budget speech on February 11, 2026, so presenting it as a new achievement is merely an electoral maneuver.
Against the backdrop of this digital modernization in Uttar Pradesh, the political situation is heating up in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, due to the 'Voice of Students' event. Congressman Rahul Gandhi plans to hold a direct dialogue with youth and students in Indore on September 19. Tensions continue between the district administration and the police regarding the venue of the event. Instead of Nehru Stadium, permission was granted on the premises of the Indore Development Authority (IDA) field, covering an area of 12,000 square meters, subject to five strict conditions and a deposit of 1 million rupees.
The Congress raised issues concerning education and employment.
Immediately before Rahul Gandhi's visit, the Congress president of Madhya Pradesh, Jitu Patwari, presented statistics on the education system. He noted the crisis of student dropout: 120 million children in the country do not complete their schooling, and 100 million young people do not reach college. Across the country, 16% of teaching positions remain vacant. In Bihar (32%), Uttarakhand (24%), Uttar Pradesh (22%), and Madhya Pradesh (19%), vacancies account for 19%.
According to the report, in 2014-2015, there were 1.107 million schools in the country, which decreased to 1.005 million, meaning that only 30,650 schools closed in Madhya Pradesh. Furthermore, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education across the country is only 30%, and up to 29% of professorial positions in central universities remain unfilled.
In response to the Congress's accusations, the Bharatiya Janata Party responded with sharp criticism. Madhya Pradesh government senior minister Kailash Vijayaragi stated that Rahul Gandhi himself is entertainment enough during his visit to Indore. In turn, the Mohan Yadav government of Madhya Pradesh asserts that 45,358 crore rupees (13.7% of the total budget) have been allocated to education this year. The government is strengthening the education system with programs such as Super 100 Yojana, Sandipani Vidyalaya, and by distributing motorcycles among 23 thousand female students.
Thus, whether it is the smart classroom model of Uttar Pradesh or the opposition's 'data war' in Madhya Pradesh, it is evident that a new chapter in the country's politics concerning learning, classrooms, and jobs has begun.