Union cabinet approves PM SHRI for development of more than 14500 schools

Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the PM Schools for Rising India scheme(SHRI), a new centrally sponsored scheme that aims the development of more than 14500 schools across the country by strengthening select existing schools being managed by all forms of governments across the country. 

The PM SHRI schools will aim at delivering quality teaching for the cognitive development of students and creating and nurturing holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills. They will also showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020 by education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children.

The focus in PM SHRI schools will be on the learning outcomes of every child in every grade and the assessment of students will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge in real-life situations.

The assessment of students will be done through a School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) which is being developed. It will specify the key performance indicators to measure outcomes.

For enhancing employability and providing better employment opportunities at these schools linkages with Sector Skill Councils and local industry will be explored.  

Under the scheme, PM SHRI schools will be developed as Green schools which would entail incorporating environment-friendly aspects like solar panels and LED lights, nutrition gardens with natural farming, waste management, plastic-free, water conservation and harvesting, the study of traditions/practices related to protection of environment, climate change related hackathon and awareness generation to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

Selection of PM SHRI schools: 

The schools will have to compete with each other for support to become exemplar schools. The selection of PM SHRI schools will be done through Challenge Mode for which schools would be required to self-apply on the online portal. The portal will be opened four times a year, once every quarter for online registration in the first two years of the scheme. 

The selection of schools in the PM SHRI scheme will require three steps: 

1) The concerned State/UT will sign a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) agreeing to implement NEP in its entirety and then the Centre will lay down the commitments for supporting these schools and for achieving specified quality assurance.

2) The schools that are eligible to be selected under the PM SHRI scheme will be identified based on the prescribed minimum benchmark through UDISE+ data. 

3) The identified schools will compete to fulfill the challenge condition The fulfillment of conditions would be certified by States/KVS/JNV through physical inspection.

A maximum of two schools one primary and one secondary/ senior secondary would be selected per block/ULB.

The PM SHRI scheme will be implemented at a total cost of Rs.27360 crores, out of which centre will bear Rs. 18128 crore for the period of five years from the year 2022-23 to 2026-27.