Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The Union government has stopped funds of Punjab, West Bengal, and Delhi under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), as the three states have refused participation in the PM-SHRI scheme.

PM SHRI scheme

• Aim: The scheme aims to turn existing government schools into model schools.
• The scheme is for existing elementary, secondary, and senior secondary schools run by the central government and state and local governments around the country.
• Funding: It is a Centrally sponsored scheme with a total project cost of 27,360 crore for the period of five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27 for transforming nearly 14,500 schools across the country.
• It will showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020, act as exemplary schools and also offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity.
• A ‘School Quality Assessment Framework’ is being developed to measure the progress and performance of these schools.

Key features of PM SHRI Scheme

• Development of ‘Green schools’: These will be equipped with solar panels, LED lights, nutrition gardens, and waste management, water conservation and harvesting systems.
• Modern facilities: Schools will include ICT (information and communication technologies) facilities, smart classrooms, library, digital library, science labs and vocational labs etc. Schools will also get science and math kits and annual school grants for libraries or sports.
• Mother tongue and local languages to be encouraged.

Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA)

• It is an overarching scheme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.
• The Scheme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
• The scheme treats school education as a continuum and is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4).
• The major objectives of the Scheme are:
  • Support States and UTs in implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020);
  • Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009;
  • Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy;
  • Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institutes for Education and Training (DIET) as nodal agency for teacher training;
  • Promoting vocational
• Under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided to all the States and UTs for undertaking above activities including training for universalization and delivery of quality school education.