PM Shri Yojana, New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri School for Rising India (PM Shri Yojana) scheme is an important scheme launched by the Narendra Modi government at the Center two years ago on 7 September 2022. PM Shri Yojana is an ambitious scheme to provide high-quality education to the students and make them 'future ready' by teaching them 21st century skills.

Purpose of PM Shri Yojana

The main goal of PM Shri Yojana is to improve 14,500 old schools in the country and implement the Education Policy-2020 in all schools. The government aims to develop all these schools in the country under this scheme. Through this scheme, the children studying in this school will be taken care of and given a safe environment. Along with this, the goal is to provide them with adequate infrastructure for better education so that they can fully concentrate on their studies.

PM Shri Yojana: Government aims to complete it in 5 years

The government has set a target to complete this scheme in a time period of 5 years from 2022-23 to 2026-27. To implement this scheme, different schools have been selected from different states across the country. There is a plan to upgrade these schools. Smart class facility will be provided in these schools. Along with this, they will also guide other schools. In such a situation, poor children are now being connected to smart classes through this scheme. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 27,360 crore to improve 14,500 schools in five years under the PM Shri scheme. The central government is bearing the entire cost of this scheme.

Under the scheme, Centrally-run, state government-run schools along with Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) across India will be upgraded to 'model' schools. However, the scheme is being opposed by some state governments, especially opposition-ruled ones. To set up PM Shri schools, state governments had to sign a memorandum with the Union education ministry.

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These states are opposing PM Shri Yojana

In such a situation, most of the states of the country signed the agreement for this. But, five states Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Kerala wrote a letter to the Center expressing their 'fears and objections' to the scheme. When the Center took a tough stand and threatened to stop the funds, these states withdrew their opposition and agreed to sign the agreement. Some of them supported the scheme, which has a “far-reaching impact” in the education sector, and even got the funds sanctioned.

The central government stopped funding to these states

However, three states and union territories, including Delhi, West Bengal and Punjab, remained adamant and have PM-Shri Scheme objecting to this, the Centre stopped funding the flagship school education programme, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), of these three states as they refused to join the PM-Shri scheme.

Total cost of PM Shri Yojana

According to the information posted on the official portal, “The main point of contention raised by the states regarding fund allocation is the 60:40 funding ratio. In which 60% of the expenditure is to be borne by the Center, while the state governments have to bear 40% of the total cost.” The total cost of the five-year project is Rs 27,360 crore. Out of this, the central government has to bear Rs 18,128 crore and the state government has to bear Rs 9,232 crore. In simple words, the PM-Shri scheme aims to develop students as nation-builders and 'future-ready' citizens.