14,000 Karnataka Government Schools Operate Without Land Records

Quick Summary:

• Karnataka’s Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has identified 14,000 government schools lacking land records, risking legal disputes and encroachment.
• A campaign titled “Government School and Educational Institutions Property Protection Campaign” aims too register land records within three months (July-September 2025).
• The government issued a circular instructing district administrations to finalize the registration process for school lands, survey properties, remove encroachments, and submit progress reports.
• land record issues hinder schools’ advancement projects such as new building construction. Constructing compound walls under schemes like MGNREGA is proposed for further protection.
• Of Karnataka’s total 48,182 government schools: 21,045 primary schools (classes 1-5), 22,086 upper primary schools (classes 1-8), and 5,051 high schools-13,000 previously lacked land records but were resolved over six months; remaining cases targeted by September-end.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The initiative to secure ownership documents for school lands is a pragmatic move that addresses both immediate threats like encroachment and long-term challenges such as litigation or accessibility for development projects. The reliance on coordinated efforts between departments in registering these properties signals strong inter-agency collaboration but raises questions about why such vital administrative oversight was delayed until recently. With nearly one-third of government school lands still unregistered-despite significant progress-the campaign represents an essential step toward safeguarding public educational infrastructure in Karnataka while ensuring a future-ready system capable of delivering free quality education without further legal or operational disruptions.

Read more: Published – July 23, 2025