On Sunday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme in Odisha. The initiative aims to enhance numerous schools nationwide, starting with the implementation of the scheme in 63 institutes operated by the Centre out of the 97 Central Schools and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state’s first phase, as announced by Pradhan.
While the Centre has urged all states and Union Territories to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education for the scheme’s execution, the Odisha government has yet to do so.
According to the union minister, the PM SHRI scheme will be rolled out in the state with a budget exceeding Rs 120 crore. For the fiscal year 2023-24, the Centre has allocated Rs 50.8 crore for the state’s schools under the Centre’s administration, with the first installment of Rs 12.7 crore already disbursed.
Notably, Rs 7.27 crore has been allocated for 37 central schools, and Rs 5.43 crore for 26 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Minister Pradhan highlighted that the Indian government allocates approximately Rs 70,000 crore annually to various states for education sector development. Odisha, specifically, receives nearly Rs 4,200 crore each year under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and PM Poshan schemes.
