State decides to upgrade 864 schools under PM SHRI scheme

Mumbai: Around 846 schools in Maharashtra will be comprehensively developed under the centre’s PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme, chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday

Mumbai: Around 846 schools in Maharashtra will be comprehensively developed under the centre’s PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme, chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday.

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The centre announced the scheme in September 2022 under which 14,500 schools across the country would be developed as PM SHRI Schools.

These schools will showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), act as exemplar schools and also offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity. The PM SHRI Schools will deliver quality teaching for the cognitive development of students to create and nurture holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills, according to state officials.

The cost of the national project is expected to be ₹27,360 crore of which ₹18,128 crore would be contributed by the union government for the period of five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27. More than 18 lakh students are expected to be direct beneficiaries of the scheme.

PM SHRI will provide high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children and makes them active participants in their own learning process as per the vision of the National Education policy 2020, said the state cabinet note.

According to officials, the PM SHRI Schools will be developed as green schools, incorporating environment-friendly aspects like solar panels and LED lights, nutrition gardens with natural farming, waste management, plastic-free, water conservation and harvesting, the study of traditions/practices related to the protection of the environment, climate change related hackathon and awareness generation to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

A state release said that 60% of the share will be given by the centre. Each school will get ₹1.88 crore for five years and the centre will give ₹955.98 crore for schools, while the state will give ₹75 lakh per school and spend ₹634.50 crore.

In phase two of this scheme, 28 schools from municipal corporation areas and 383 schools from municipal council areas will be chosen.