Operation Kayakalp: How UP is upgrading infrastructure in government schools

Uttar Pradesh’s Operation Kayakalp, which was launched in 2018, focuses on upgrading basic infrastructure in government primary and upper-primary schools, with improvements tracked across 19 key parameters.

The programme follows an inter-departmental convergence approach, bringing together funds and resources from initiatives including Samagra Shiksha, Gram Panchayat funds, District Mineral Foundation funds, urban-area funds, Jal Jeevan Mission and MGNREGA.

The programme focuses on 19 basic infrastructure parameters, including clean drinking water, separate toilets for boys, girls and children with disabilities, multiple handwashing units, tiled classroom floors, modern blackboards, functional kitchens, painting, ramps and railings, electricity and wiring, cleanliness, libraries and furniture.

Operation Kayakalp also includes measures to make school infrastructure child-friendly and accessible to children with disabilities.

The state has developed a technical and operational manual for such facilities in collaboration with UNICEF, along with training and capacity-building for stakeholders involved in school construction and improvement.

The programme uses photo protocols, geo-tagging and digital monitoring mechanisms to track the work.

The 2023–24 Samagra Shiksha review also records state-, district- and block-level monitoring arrangements.

According to a 2025 Uttar Pradesh government publication, 97 per cent of schools had achieved saturation across the 19 Operation Kayakalp parameters.

The programme focuses on strengthening the physical infrastructure and basic facilities of government schools, with the aim of creating cleaner, safer, more accessible and better-equipped learning environments for children across Uttar Pradesh.- Ends