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Govt approves opening of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas, 19 in Bihar
The new Kendriya Vidyalas will also house Balvatikas for admission of children at the foundational stage as per the National Education Policy 2020
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the opening of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across 17 states and Union Territories (UTs) in the country, aimed at facilitating the educational needs of the wards of the central government employees.
Of the 57 new KVs, 19 or one-third of the new schools are approved for Bihar, 4 each for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and rest for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, and Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir among others.
“Covering 17 states and UTs, these 57 new KVs will expand the reach of quality and affordable education in aspirational, underserved, Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and hilly areas and fulfil educational requirements of a vast population,” said Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a post on X.
Of the 57 KVs under the civil sector that will also house Balvatikas for admission of children at the foundational stage (pre-primary) as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a total of 50 will be sponsored by state governments and UT administrations, while the remaining 7 will be sponsored by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The establishment of 57 new KVs are expected to cost about ₹5,862.55 crore over nine years from 2026–27, including ₹2,585.52 crore for capital expenses and ₹3,277.03 crore for operations, said Union ministry of education (MoE) in a press statement.
“The establishment of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas has been approved by the Cabinet. It is gladdening that KVs will include Balvatikas, nurturing children from the foundational stage. Several students will benefit, alongside the creation of many jobs. This is in line with our commitment to inclusive growth, particularly in aspirational districts, the Northeast and other remote areas,” said PM Modi in a post on X.
KVs are central government schools run by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), an autonomous body under MoE, providing uniform quality education across the country for children of central government employees.
Currently, 1,288 KVs are functioning, including 1 each in Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran with an enrolment of 13.62 lakh students. The opening of 57 new KVs (Balvatika to Class 12) are expected to benefit 86,640 students and generate 4,617 permanent teaching jobs, the ministry said.
Earlier in December 2024, CCEA had approved the opening of 85 KVs. The ministry said that along with the earlier approval of 85 KVs, the 57 newly sanctioned schools address rising demand while ensuring pan-India expansion, with sanctioning priority given to states and UTs not covered since March 2019.
