The Cabinet has approved a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme named Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) on 7th September, 2022. These schools will showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and emerge as exemplar schools over a period of time, and also offer leadership to other schools in the neighbourhood. They will provide leadership in their respective regions in providing 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 NEP 2020.
Under the scheme there is provision of setting up of more than 14500 PM SHRI Schools by strengthening the existing schools from amongst schools managed by Central government/State/UT Government/local bodies. Maximum two schools (one Elementary & one Secondary/Senior Secondary) would be selected per block/ULB with upper limit of number of total schools across India.
The duration of scheme is proposed to be from 2022-23 to 2026-27; after which it shall be the responsibility of the States/UTs to continue to maintain the benchmarks achieved by these schools. The total cost of the project will be Rs 27360 crore spread over a period of 5 years which includes central share of Rs 18128 crore.
Selection of PM SHRI schools will be done through Challenge Mode wherein Schools compete for support to become exemplar schools. Selection would be done through a three-stage process with definite time lines, which is as follows: –
Stage-1: States/UTs would sign MoU with Centre laying down the commitments for supporting these schools for achieving specified quality assurance as PM SHRI Schools.
Stage-2: In this stage, a pool of schools that are eligible to be selected as PM SHRI Schools would be identified based on prescribed minimum benchmark through UDISE+ data.
Stage-3: This stage is based on the challenge method for fulfilling certain criteria. Only the schools from the above eligible pool of schools would compete to fulfil the challenge conditions. Fulfilment of conditions would be certified by states/KVS/JNV through physical inspection. As the schools would be selected through challenge method, there would not be any predefined state/UT-wise break-up of schools. States/UTs are to recommend the list of schools to Ministry of education for selection as PM SHRI schools.
The major interventions in the PM SHRI Scheme which will be used for modern, transformation and holistic method of imparting education are:
- Quality and Innovation (Learning Enhancement Programme, Holistic Progress Card, Innovative Pedagogies, Bagless days, Internships with Local artisans, Capacity building etc.)
- Beneficiary oriented Entitlements under RTE Act
- Annual School Grants (Composite School grants, Library grant, Sports grant)
- Early Childhood Care and Education including Balvatika and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
- Equity and Inclusion including provision of safe and appropriate infrastructure for girls and CWSN.
- Encouraging flexibility in choice of subjects offered to students.
- Encouraging mother tongue as medium of instruction using technological interventions to help bridge language barriers between teachers and students.
- ICT, smart classrooms and digital libraries for using digital pedagogy.
- Strengthening of existing infrastructure
- Vocational interventions & Enhancing internship/entrepreneurship opportunities especially with local industry. Mapping of skills with developmental projects/nearby industry and develop courses/curriculum accordingly.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
