Overview
The Ministry of Education has released the latest figures on schools covered under the PM SHRI scheme. A total of 13,092 schools have been selected across States and Union Territories (UTs), including institutions under KVS, NVS and NCERT. The data were furnished by Minister of State for Education Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 27 July 2026.
Key Developments
- Selection of 13,092 schools under PM SHRI.
- Appointment of teachers for non‑Hindi native languages across the country.
- Deployment of 6,102 Sanskrit teachers, 1,994 Urdu teachers and 9,152 teachers for other regional languages.
- Data sourced from UDISE+ 2025‑26.
Important Facts (State/UT‑wise Snapshot)
The annexure lists the number of schools and language‑wise teacher appointments for each State/UT. Highlights include:
- Uttar Pradesh leads with 1,888 schools, but only 331 Sanskrit and 351 Urdu teachers.
- Rajasthan has the highest Sanskrit teacher count at 768, while Kerala shows a modest 57 Sanskrit teachers and no Urdu appointments.
- Small UTs like Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Ladakh have limited schools (20 and 41 respectively) but still receive language‑specific teachers.
- Overall, the scheme has placed 9,152 teachers for regional languages, reflecting a strong push for multilingual education.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the PM SHRI rollout is vital for several UPSC topics:
- Education Policy: Shows how the central government operationalises the Right to Education (RTE) through targeted schemes.
- Language Policy: Highlights the emphasis on preserving regional languages and Sanskrit, linking to the three‑language formula.
- Federal Structure: The State/UT‑wise data illustrate cooperative federalism, where central schemes are implemented at the state level.
- Data‑Driven Governance: Use of UDISE+ underscores the role of statistical databases in policy formulation.
Way Forward
For aspirants to analyse the scheme critically, consider the following points:
- Assess whether the teacher‑to‑school ratio meets the needs of multilingual classrooms, especially in linguistically diverse states.
- Examine the integration of KVS and NVS best practices into other PM SHRI schools.
- Monitor the impact of infrastructure upgrades on learning outcomes, using future UDISE+ releases.
- Encourage state governments to complement central funding with local initiatives for language preservation.
Overall, the data reflect a concerted effort to strengthen the school ecosystem while respecting India’s linguistic diversity—a key theme for GS‑1 and GS‑2 papers.