Daily News Analysis

SHRESHTA - Education Policy and program

stylish_lining

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. 

International Year of the Woman Farmer

The United Nations General Assembly's declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer marks an important milestone in recognizing the pivotal role women play in global agricu
Share It

Mental Health Coverage in India

India has made significant strides in integrating mental health treatment into its health insurance policies, following the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and the IRDAI directive, which now mandates
Share It

India and EU

The recent UK-EU agreement presents a Eurocentric framework that primarily benefits European integration but also holds substantial implications for India in terms of both opportunities and challe
Share It

Paris Agreement

India’s progress on its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement has been commendable, with significant achievements in areas like non-fossil fuel capacity, carbon sinks, and emissions
Share It

cooperative and fiscal federalism

India’s journey toward cooperative and fiscal federalism over the past decade has resulted in significant changes in the relationship between the Centre and state governments. The shift towa
Share It

The Evolving Landscape of Warfare

The recent asymmetric strike by Ukraine, Operation Spiderweb, which involved long-range drone assaults on Russian air bases, offers critical insights into modern warfare. This operation not only h
Share It

India-Maldives

India’s Prime Minister’s participation as the guest of honor at the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives represents a significant reset in bilateral relations, offering a
Share It

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which was introduced in 2016, was designed to streamline and strengthen India’s insolvency resolution process. However, recent developments suggest
Share It

Bay of Bengal

India’s maritime ambitions in the Bay of Bengal are central to its geopolitical and economic strategies, but there are several challenges that need to be addressed to strengthen its leadersh
Share It

The Great Nicobar Project

The Great Nicobar Project is a massive infrastructure overhaul that has emerged as a focal point for India’s strategic and developmental ambitions. Piloted by NITI Aayog, the project is valu
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS