E-Paper
165k schools apply for PM-SHRI upgrade
The maximum number of schools that have applied for the selection are from Uttar Pradesh (37,065), followed by Rajasthan (21,317), Madhya Pradesh (19,508), Maharashtra (16,614), and Andhra Pradesh (13, 455), officials said
New Delhi: A total of 165,382 schools spread across 29 states and Union territories have so far applied with the ministry of education for an upgrade under the Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, officials said on Wednesday.
The maximum number of schools that have applied for the selection are from Uttar Pradesh (37,065), followed by Rajasthan (21,317), Madhya Pradesh (19,508), Maharashtra (16,614), and Andhra Pradesh (13, 455), officials added.
On September 7, the Union Cabinet approved the ₹27,360-crore scheme for upgradation of 14,500 schools across the country over the next five years. The scheme is expected to benefit 1.8 million students, and ensure schools serve as model institutes and encapsulate the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In the first stage, states and UTs have to sign MoUs agreeing to implement NEP in entirety, with the Centre laying down the commitments for supporting these schools for achieving specified quality assurance as PM-SHRI schools. In the second stage, schools eligible to be selected under the scheme would be identified based on a prescribed minimum benchmark through the ministry’s Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data from the respective states.
Only select schools will be able to compete for the PM-SHRI status and will be eligible to register themselves on the portal launched by the ministry on November 3, 2022.
According to officials at the ministry, so far, 29 states and UTs, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) have signed the MoUs for upgradation under the scheme.
“As many as 179,909 schools have passed the minimum benchmark from the states which have signed the MoUs. Of these, 165, 382 have registered on the PM-SHRI portal to get the PM-SHRI status till December 31, 2022. The maximum number of applications have come from Uttar Pradesh from where 37,000 schools have applied,” said a senior official from the ministry, requesting anonymity.
“Now, schools from this pool will then compete to fulfil the commitments. The fulfilment of conditions would be certified through physical inspections. The ministry has already started the district level verification process and 76,499 schools have already been verified,” the official said.
The states and Union territories which entered into the agreement with the Centre are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, among others.
“The selection for PM-SHRI schools will be done through a challenge mode wherein schools will compete to become exemplar schools,” the ministry official said.
The PM-SHRI schools will have a modern, transformational and holistic method of imparting education. These schools will be equipped with modern infrastructure including labs, smart classrooms, libraries, sports equipment, art room etc. which is inclusive and accessible, the ministry had said in September 2022, adding they will also be developed as “green schools” with water conservation, waste recycling, energy-efficient infrastructure and integration of organic lifestyle in curriculum.
