PM SHRI Scheme; Selected 6,448 Schools for Upgrade

PM SHRI Scheme: Under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, 6,438 schools from 28 states and union territories have been selected for upgrading. The bulk of those selected are from schools in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

As per the data shared by the ministry, the maximum number of selected schools are from Uttar Pradesh (928), Andhra Pradesh (662), Telangana (543), Maharashtra (516), Madhya Pradesh (416) and Rajasthan (402).

In September of last year, the Union Cabinet approved a plan worth Rs 27,360 crore for the five-year upgrade of 14,500 Indian schools. This new programme is expected to assist 1.8 million kids and ensure that schools act as role models and follow the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 criteria.

Over 200,000 schools in India applied for the first round of upgradation under the PM SHRI scheme, according to a Hindustan Times story. They submitted their applications through a website that the Union Education Ministry introduced in November 2022. In a meeting conducted by officials last month, the selection process for the first round of upgrading PM SHRI schools was finished.

The government separated the selection procedure for PM SHRI schools into three phases:

First stage: States and union territories had to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) committing to the implementation of NEP as the first step.

Second stage: The ministry’s Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data was used to identify schools that met the requirements to be chosen under the PM SHRI plan.

Third stage: Each of the chosen schools had to compete to earn the rank of PM SHRI.

The 6,448 schools that met the requirements for the first round were chosen using the challenge method. According to an official quoted in the Hindustan Times, only the schools from the aforementioned benchmark schools met the requirements.

According to the official, schools in urban regions must receive a minimum score of 70%, while schools in rural areas must receive a minimum score of 60% in order to be chosen as PM SHRI schools. Access and infrastructure, inclusive practises and gender equity, curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation were just a few of the factors that went into choosing the schools.

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