Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a nationwide campaign to push for better basic facilities in government schools across rural India, calling on parents to conduct social audits and village heads to take responsibility for improving school infrastructure.

The campaign, which is scheduled to begin on August 15, will focus on facilities such as drinking water, electricity, functional toilets and mid-day meals. Dipke said the initiative would begin from his village in Hingoli, Maharashtra, where he plans to approach the village head and seek improvements at government schools.

Campaign to Begin on August 15

Announcing the initiative on Monday, Dipke said Independence Day should be used as an opportunity to address issues affecting children in rural areas.

He argued that while major public infrastructure projects have been developed over the years, government schools in villages have continued to face shortages of basic facilities.

“The coming 15th August is our 80th Independence Day. But, if anything has been neglected or ignored the most in the last 80 years, it is the government schools in our villages,” Dipke said in a video message.

He questioned why children of farmers and labourers should not have access to schools with facilities comparable to those available in cities.

Focus on Basic School Facilities

As part of the campaign, CJP has appealed to sarpanches across the country to inspect and improve government schools in their respective villages.

Dipke highlighted issues such as children having to travel long distances to reach schools and the lack of basic amenities once they arrive.

He particularly pointed to the absence of drinking water and toilets, which can create additional difficulties for girl students.

“I feel that on this 15th August, if we should pay attention to anything, if we should make a new start, we should start by improving our government schools,” he said.

CJP Launches ‘Sarpanch Challenge’

The organisation has also announced what it calls a “Sarpanch Challenge”, under which village heads who improve government schools will be publicly recognised.

According to the campaign plan, CJP will share before-and-after photographs of schools on its social media platforms and give credit to the sarpanches responsible for the improvements.

Dipke said the idea was to encourage other village leaders to follow successful examples.

“We will give you credit so that after seeing you, after seeing the schools that you have improved, many other village heads also start improving schools in their villages,” he said.

Parents Asked to Conduct Social Audits

The campaign also proposes a citizen-led social audit of government schools.

Parents whose children attend government schools have been asked to visit the institutions and check whether essential facilities are available. The proposed audit will cover electricity, clean drinking water, functional washrooms and mid-day meals.

Dipke urged parents to document shortcomings through photographs and videos.

The CJP said it would soon release a printable audit form that citizens can use to record facilities available at their children's schools and those that are missing. The organisation plans to share the form through links accompanying its campaign videos.

Campaign Targets Rural Education Gap

The initiative aims to draw attention to differences in school infrastructure between rural and urban areas.

Dipke said children from farming and working-class families should have access to adequate educational facilities in their own villages.

“If not, you make videos of it. Because your children's schooling should be good. That is your fundamental right,” he said.

The campaign will also rely on public participation, with citizens encouraged to document problems and submit information to the organisation.

CJP’s Shift Towards Youth Movement

The school campaign comes as CJP continues to develop its activities after beginning as an online satirical platform and later expanding its presence through street-level protests.

The organisation's 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over examination-related irregularities ended on July 25 following the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Earlier this month, CJP held a two-day strategy meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, where it decided to continue as a youth movement rather than enter electoral politics.

The organisation has also announced its “Kya Bolti Public?” campaign as part of a proposed nationwide outreach programme.

Dipke has previously urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use his Independence Day address to speak specifically to the country's youth.

Concluding his latest campaign announcement, Dipke appealed to citizens to collectively work towards improving village schools and described the initiative with the message: “Real India lives in villages.”