NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India), a new centrally sponsored scheme, to upgrade more than 14,500 schools across the country. It is to follow all the components of the National Education Policy 2020, and offer mentorship to other schools in its vicinity. PM SHRI schools will help individuals to nurture their skills and deliver quality teaching for the cognitive development of students.
Existing schools managed by central and state governments, UTs, and local bodies will be part of this scheme with a total project cost of Rs 27,360 crores over the next five years in which the center will bear Rs 18,128 crores.
Schools will require to self-apply online and have to entirely implement NEP. It will also need to reach a benchmark of around 60 parameters from the availability of toilets to electricity to qualify for the scheme. These schools are expected to be developed as green schools with energy-efficient infrastructure and integration of organic lifestyle in the curriculum and with well-equipped smart classrooms, libraries, sports equipment, etc. The students will be provided flexibility in the choice of subjects offered and will be counseled for psychological well-being and career choices.
A school Quality Assessment Framework will be developed to specify the key performance indicators to measure outcomes. It will provide Annual School Grants and Early Childhood Care and Education including Balvatika and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Vocational interventions and enhancing internship opportunities with local industry will be provided too.
A minimum of two schools will be selected per block/ULB and services of Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) will be taken for geotagging and other related tasks.
These schools will be upgraded as vibrant schools and an estimated 18 lakhs students are expected to be direct beneficiaries of the scheme.