BIKANER, July 19 -- The Rajasthan government has decided to introduce Hindi-medium sections in 346 Mahatma Gandhi Government English Medium Schools (MGGS) where enrolment has fallen below 70 students, officials aware of the matter said. The move, aimed at reviving admissions in the flagship school programme launched by the previous Congress government while retaining existing English-medium classes, follows an internal review that highlighted persistently low student enrolment in several districts. A senior official familiar with the development said the decision was taken after education minister Madan Dilawar raised concerns over extremely low enrolment in these schools through an official note. Subsequently, the directorate of secondary education instructed chief district education officers to implement the revised arrangement over the coming fortnight. Schools with adequate infrastructure will run Hindi- and English-medium sections simultaneously in the same shift, while institutions facing space constraints will operate the two mediums in separate shifts. The district-wise list shows that the issue extends across Rajasthan. Jaipur has the highest number of affected schools (34), followed by Sikar (27), Churu (22), Jodhpur (22), Bikaner (18), Dausa (15), Dungarpur and Banswara (14), Bharatpur (13), Jalore (12), and Phalodi and Udaipur (11 each). The official said the department's review also provides insight into the factors behind the policy shift. Official data records instances where schools continued to have full teaching staff despite very low student strength. One Mahatma Gandhi Government School in Bhadva Ki Dhani, Jodhpur, had no students enrolled for the 2026-27 academic session despite having nine staff members. Another school in Pidawa, Jhalawar, had two students against five staff members, while a school in Gilg Patti, Bharatpur, had three students against seven staffers. The review also points to sharp declines in enrolment in several schools. Enrolment at MGGS Kalyanpura in Kotputli-Behror dropped from 107 students in 2025-26 to 50 in 2026-27, illustrating the decline that prompted the government to revise its policy. The official said, "Under the revised policy, existing English-medium students will continue in their present sections, while fresh admissions will also be opened in the Hindi medium." The government expects the dual-medium model to improve enrolment by giving parents a choice of medium without disrupting students already studying in English-medium classes. Former education minister and state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, however, alleged that the move reflected Dilawar's long-standing opposition to the Schools rather than a collective government decision. Speaking to HT, Dotasra said Dilawar had been "looking for excuses" to shut the schools since taking charge of the department. "Throughout the enrolment drive, he repeatedly spoke about closing Mahatma Gandhi schools. When the government itself says the schools will be closed, why would parents seek admission there?" Dotasra said. He argued that the schools were established primarily in small towns and rural areas to provide English-medium education to children from economically weaker families. Questioning the online admission process, he said poor families in remote villages often lacked the means to complete applications. Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said the previous Congress government had opened the Schools without assessing ground realities or framing a proper policy. He alleged that in several places, three to four English-medium schools were opened in a single gram panchayat and claimed it was aimed at creating posts for people close to the then government. "Dotasara can say whatever he wants, but these decisions have been taken after a review of the ground situation. The previous government ignored the practical aspects while opening these schools"....