District education officials in Uttar Pradesh who issued orders earlier this month restricting the entry of outsiders, including YouTubers, in government schools amid protests by disenchanted Gen Alpha students drew criticism from opposition parties as the orders went viral on Thursday (August 20, 2026). The opposition has called it a means to avoid accountability.

In their letters, Basic Education Officers in Azamgarh, Ballia, Sultanpur, and Balrampur cited the adverse impact of “unauthorised entry” on school operations.

According to an order issued by the District Basic Education Officer, Azamgarh, “Outsiders, YouTubers, and unauthorised individuals affect the functioning of schools. Therefore, to maintain decorum, unauthorised entry is prohibited with immediate effect. Individuals linked to social media will require permission from the designated officer.” Similar orders were issued by other districts too.

Opposition parties condemned the move calling it an attempt to hide structural failures in the education system under the BJP.

“This is a draconian move to hide the administration’s failures and crush Gen Alpha protests. These protests reached the public only due to YouTubers and social media. The government does not want to face accountability and scrutiny. We condemn this move and believe that transparency is the key to any functional democracy,” said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary, Congress.

Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Ameeque Jamei said, “It is shameful and very concerning that rather than fixing accountability and solving the problems of schools, the administration is hiding failure by restricting entry of journalists and YouTubers. In U.P., innocent children, who should be laughing, playing and studying, are being forced to hit the streets to secure basic facilities at their schools.”

Published - August 20, 2026 09:34 pm IST