New Delhi, 07 February 2022: The Indian government has decided to provide funds for the education of 3,500 talented Scheduled Caste (SC) students in top-rated private residential schools every year from 2022-23. Within this initiative, the government will offer students back-up courses, keep a check on their progress, and train them for higher education.
Note: The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have collaborated to launch the Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA). The scheme was earlier known as Grant-in aid to Voluntary and Other Organizations Working for Scheduled Castes.
What is SHRESHTA?
The objective of the Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) are as follows:
- To enhance the reach of the development initiative of the government.
- To fill the gap in service-deprived Scheduled Castes (SCs) dominant areas in the sector of education by collaborating with voluntary organizations.
- To provide an environment for socio-economic upliftment and overall development of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
- To provide access to high-quality education to bright Scheduled Caste (SC) students so that they can secure future opportunities.
SHRESHTA: Important Points
- The selection of the students at levels of classes 6, 9 and 11 will be done annually through the nationwide Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) entrance exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
- Around 2,000 students at the Class-6 level, 1,000 students at Class-9 level, and 500 students at the Class-11 level will be selected annually under the SHRESHTA scheme.
- In five years’ time, more than 13,000 meritorious SC students are expected to benefit from the SHRESHTA scheme.
- The education of the selected children will be government funded until Class 12.
- Scholarships (covering tuition fee and hostel fee) starting from INR 75,000 per annum per student (for Class 6) to INR 1.35 lakh (in Class 12), will be borne by the government.
- The selected SC students would be offered a choice to either choose the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) of their district, or to opt for a SHRESHTA-linked school in their respective state.
- Thereafter, the school would automatically admit the student in the suitable class without asking for immediate payment of the school and hostel fees.
Note:
- The fee would be deposited by the government in the school account within 30 days from the date of confirmation of admission.
- At the time of joining the school, the students will also be run through a three-month bridge course so that they can catch up with the rest of the class, address learning gaps and acquire capability to adapt to the school environment.
To read more about SHRESHTA scheme, please click here
