India, Sept. 16 -- As the clock struck 1pm for recess, students of classes 1 and 4 at Navagaon Zilla Parishad School, a co-educational institution located 15 km from Kalyan, had no choice but to answer nature's call in the open or go home and then relieve themselves. With washrooms rendered non-functional and the school building crumbling, the 39-year-old institution is struggling to provide even the most basic facilities, raising serious questions about the safety and wellbeing of its students.

Established in 1984 and managed by the local Zilla Parishad, the school primarily serves children from underprivileged families in nearby villages.

Data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), the Ministry of Ed...