As many as 13 states and three Union Territories (UTs) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education to upgrade their schools under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme.
MoU for PM-Shri Schools has been received by Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Punjab along with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan (NVS).
The PM-SHRI Schools are said to be a new scheme for the development of more than 14,500 schools across the nation as it will strengthen the selected schools by being managed with the help of the Central Government, State or UT Government, or the local bodies.
These schools will also showcase the components of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and would act as exemplary schools. It will also offer mentorship to other schools in its vicinity.
The PM SHRI schools will also deliver quality teaching for the cognitive development of students and will strive to create and nurture holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key skills of the 21st century.
These schools are scheduled to be developed as Green schools, which will incorporate 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 or practices related to the protection of the environment, climate change related hackathon and generating awareness to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
The schools will be focused on the learning outcomes of every child in every grade. The assessment at all levels will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real-life situations and will be competency-based.
For stage 1, the States and UTs would sign MoU agreeing to implement NEP in the entirety with the Centre and laying down the commitments for supporting these schools for achieving specified quality assurance as PM SHRI schools.
In stage 2, a pool of schools eligible to be selected as PM SHRI Schools would be identified on the basis of the prescribed minimum benchmark through UDISE+ data.
Stage 3 involves the challenge method for fulfilling certain criteria. Only the schools from the eligible pool would compete to fulfil these challenge conditions. The fulfilment of conditions would be then certified by States, KVS, or JNV through physical inspection.
