The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 27,360 crore scheme for setting up over 14,000 PM-SHRI schools across the country Source: Rawpixel
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 27,360 crore scheme for setting up over 14,000 PM-SHRI schools across the country. Under the scheme, over 14,000 schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, will be strengthened to emerge as PM-SHRI Schools (PM ScHools for Rising India), Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5 on the occasion of Teachers Day, will seek to strengthen existing schools from amongst those managed by the Central and state governments, as well as local bodies. The total project cost would be Rs 27,360 crore for five years. Of this, the central share would be Rs 18,128 crore. The government expects this scheme to benefit 187 lakh students.
For the first time, the schools will receive money through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Under the new centrally-sponsored PM SHRI scheme, 14,500 schools will be “upgraded” across India in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“The Government of India has given a new distribution mechanism Special Nodal Accounts for specific schemes and departments. All states have agreed to this plan because all the benefits will directly reach the beneficiaries that are schools and students,” said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“In five years, starting from 2022 till 2027, Rs 27, 360 crores will be spent to upgrade 14, 597 schools into model schools,” he added.