How many schools are really operative in Indian villages?

It is difficult to provide an exact number of schools that are currently operational in Indian villages because the data may vary depending on the source and the definition of a "village school." However, according to the Ministry of Education's (formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development) Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report for the year 2019-20, there were a total of 1,110,436 elementary and secondary schools (up to Class 12) in India.

Out of these schools, 647,816 were located in rural areas, which could include villages. However, this does not necessarily mean that all of these schools are exclusively serving villages or that every village in India has a functioning school. In fact, there are still many villages in India that do not have a school or where children face significant barriers in accessing education.

The Indian government has launched various initiatives to improve access to education in rural areas, such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. However, the challenge of ensuring quality education for all children in India, especially those in remote or disadvantaged areas, remains a significant issue.