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In the past week alone, three FIRs have been registered against SP leaders and workers for allegedly running PDA Pathshalas without permission
According to official figures, Uttar Pradesh has around 1.32 lakh primary schools catering to nearly 1.48 crore children. The government’s school pairing policy, rolled out this year, seeks to merge 10,784 schools with nearby institutions to ‘rationalise resources and ensure better facilities’. Representational image/Getty
“PDA Pathshala cannot be stopped by police. The BJP wants OBC and Dalit children to remain uneducated,” Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday while addressing the supporters at the birth anniversary of socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra in Lucknow. The SP chief’s remark has once again brought his party’s “PDA Ki Pathshala” initiative into the spotlight. So is the Samajwadi Party using it as a political plank to consolidate its OBC, Dalit, and minority base ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections?
“The chief minister should himself visit these schools to see the conditions. The BJP government has admitted that it shut down or merged several schools. Until new teachers are appointed, our workers will keep teaching children,” said Akhilesh. He accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of deliberately pushing Other Backward Class (OBC) and Dalit children out of the education system, calling it a conspiracy to weaken their reasoning capacity.
What is ‘PDA Ki Pathshala’?
The PDA (short for Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) Pathshala programme was launched by the SP in protest against the state government’s decision to merge more than 10,700 primary schools under its restructuring policy. The party claims that the move, rather than improving quality, has ended up depriving children in marginalised communities of access to basic education. SP cadres and local leaders have since been holding makeshift classes—inside closed schools, at nearby grounds, and sometimes under trees—branding them as PDA Pathshalas.
The initiative gained momentum after videos of these classes circulated on social media, showing children being taught by SP workers. While the party says it is filling a vacuum left by the government, the ruling BJP has hit back, calling it “Samajwadi brainwashing” of innocent minds.
The UP government’s school merger policy
According to official figures, Uttar Pradesh has around 1.32 lakh primary schools catering to nearly 1.48 crore children. The government’s school pairing policy, rolled out this year, seeks to merge 10,784 schools with nearby institutions to “rationalise resources and ensure better facilities”. The basic education department stated that many schools with low enrolment are better utilised if merged with bigger institutions, where students can benefit from improved infrastructure, trained staff, and digital learning resources.
However, critics point out that the merger has left hundreds of villages without functioning schools, forcing children—especially from poor families—to travel longer distances, increasing dropout rates.
Crackdown on PDA Pathshalas
The state government has responded with a heavy hand. In the past week alone, three FIRs have been registered against SP leaders and workers for allegedly running PDA Pathshalas without permission.
In Pratapgarh, an FIR was lodged against SP legislator RK Verma for allegedly breaking the lock of a merged school and conducting classes with political posters and banners. In Kanpur, party leader Rachna Singh Gautam was booked for “spreading rumours” about a school closure and holding classes outside its premises. Similarly, in Bhadohi, SP worker Anjani Saroj was accused of distributing toffees and pencils to lure children to attend an unauthorised class. Police said cases were registered under charges including criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, and damage to public property.
Officials from the primary education department have directed district BSAs to monitor schools regularly and initiate strict legal action against unauthorised teaching activities, calling them an attempt to disrupt social harmony.
UP minister defends the mergers
Uttar Pradesh basic education minister Sandeep Singh asserted that the government’s school merger programme was aimed at enhancing educational quality, not depriving children of learning opportunities.
“The opposition is misleading people. No child has been denied education. On the contrary, merging small schools with low enrolment ensures better teaching, proper classrooms, and effective monitoring. Education cannot be turned into a political battleground,” he said.
Clarifying its stance, the state government on Thursday announced that primary schools with 50 or more students will not be merged, and those located more than a kilometre from the nearest school will remain independent. The minister further assured that there would be no reduction in the number of teachers’ posts.
Experts weigh in
Political analyst Shashikant Pandey, head of the department of political science at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, said the PDA Pathshala issue reflects a larger battle over electoral narratives.
“The SP is consciously framing the merger issue through the lens of social justice, trying to tell OBCs and Dalits that their children’s future is at stake. This is not merely about schools—it is about consolidating the PDA bloc for 2027. The FIRs, if anything, may allow the SP to play the victim card, which could resonate with marginalised voters,” he explained.
Another political expert added that the initiative fits the SP’s broader PDA strategy. “By highlighting school closures and linking them to the marginalisation of backward and Dalit communities, the SP is ensuring that the debate reaches the grassroots. Education is an emotional issue, and the party hopes this narrative will stick until 2027,” he said.
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