Parliament Question: PM SHRI schools in Telangana

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3721 ANSWERED ON – 25/03/2026 PM SHRI schools in Telangana 3721 Shri Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken by Government to expand PM SHRI Schools across the country; (b) the number of schools selected under the PM SHRI scheme in Telangana; and (c) the expected impact of these schools in improving quality of education, digital infrastructure and skill development among students? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) & (b): Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) is a centrally sponsored scheme which aims to strengthen more than 14,500 schools from amongst the existing schools managed by Central Government/State/UT Government/local bodies. As per the PM SHRI guidelines, a maximum of two schools per block/Urban Local Body (ULB) are selected with an upper limit on the total number of schools across India. Till 20.03.2026, a total of 13,091 PM SHRI schools have been selected from 33 States/UTs along with KVS, NVS, and NCERT of which a total of 794 PM SHRI schools have been selected from the State of Telangana. The details of these PM SHRI schools may be accessed on the website of PM SHRI scheme at the link: https://pmshri.education.gov.in/state. (c): In alignment with the National Education Policy, 2020, PM SHRI scheme has a provision to saturate these PM SHRI schools with 21 NEP components such as computer lab/ICT lab/smart classrooms, library with good furniture, internet facility, vocational skill education, guidance and career counselling, fully equipped integrated science lab/physics lab/chemistry lab/biology lab, playground with well-equipped sports facilities, school innovation council, youth and eco club for mission life, Building as Learning Aid (BaLa) features and jaadui pitara for primary school children, 10 bagless days for students, child tracking software for tracking the children attendance, fully functioning handwashing facility and toilets, green school features etc. These PM SHRI schools are to showcase all the initiatives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, be the exemplar schools, and also offer benchmarking leadership to other schools in the neighbourhood. Further, PM SHRI scheme envisages to improve the quality of education by transforming teaching-learning processes in line with NEP 2020 through experiential, competency-based, andlearner-centric pedagogy. Emphasis is laid on foundational literacy and numeracy, Learning Enhancement Programmes, use of innovative pedagogies, bagless days, internships with local artisans, and integration of arts, sports, and vocational education to ensure holistic development. Assessment practices such as competency-based evaluation and Holistic Progress Cards focus on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge in real-life situations. Continuous professional development and capacity building of teachers and school principals/headmasters, along with availability of enriched teaching-learning materials and digital resources, further strengthen classroom practices. PM SHRI scheme also has a provision to improve digital infrastructure in PM SHRI schools by establishing ICT labs, smart classrooms, computer labs, internet facility and digital libraries along with digital educational content. Platforms like DIKSHA are being utilized to provide a repository of high-quality digital learning resources, enabling resource- sharing among educators and students. For skill development, PM SHRI scheme, aligned with NEP 2020, has a provision to integrate vocational education into the mainstream curriculum at the secondary and senior secondary levels, equipping students with essential skills for the future. There is a provision of setting up of vocational and skill labs by providing tools & equipment, raw materials, trainers, in- service and induction trainings for trainers, hands on training for students, linkages with sector skill councils etc. Students gain hands-on experience through internships with organisation/companies. *****