SHRESHTA - Education Policy and program

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently issued instructions for Residential Private Schools interested in joining SHRESHTA Scheme.

About Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA)

• The scheme aims to provide access to the best private residential schools for meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. 
• It will provide scholarships to meritorious students from SC communities to study in private and NGO-run residential schools for Classes 9-12.
• The scheme is expected to provide admissions to around 3,000 students in Classes 9 and 11 each year.
• The core objectives of the scheme are to enhance the reach of the development initiatives of the government and fill in the gap in service-deprived SC dominant areas in the education sector. 
• The scheme will collaborate with voluntary organisations to provide an environment that can help create conditions for socio-economic upliftment and the overall development of the SC communities.
• Implementation agency: The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• The scheme is being implemented in two modes. 
  • First, there are SHRESHTA schools, which consist of the best CBSE/ state board-affiliated private residential schools. 
  • Under SHRESHTA, outstanding students from SC communities, across states and UTs, will be selected annually through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) and will be admitted to these schools for education in Classes 9 through 12. 
  • The schools that will be part of this scheme will be selected based on a performance score of above 75 percent pass rate in Class 10 and 12 board examinations over the past three years.
  • The second mode is based on NGO and voluntary organisation-run schools and hostels. The institutions run by such organisations that run up to Class 12 will also be made part of the scheme.
• Eligibility:
  • Students whose annual parental income is less than Rs 2,50,000 and who belong to SC communities are eligible to participate in this scheme. 
  • Only those candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class VIII/X in the given academic session can apply for taking admission to Class IX/XI.
• The scheme will cover the tuition fee, the hostel fee, and the mess fees for qualifying students.
• Students will also be allowed to choose from a range of schools based on their merit.