Student enrollment soars under PM SHRI plan: 75% rise in Manipur, Tripura, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and Madhya Pradesh

Student enrollment has increased significantly under the government's PM SHRI School plan, which was launched in 2022 and aims to establish 14,500 schools nationwide.

Several state schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs), have been transformed into PM SHRI Schools to support the program.

This transformation has led to improved infrastructure and raised education standards.

According to a Ministry of Education report, enrollment at PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) has risen by 75% in Manipur, Tripura, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and Madhya Pradesh, affecting 40 schools in five states.

The number of students enrolled in these schools has increased from 14,258 in 2021–2022 to 25,065 in 2023–2024.

Enrollment in rural schools has also surged unexpectedly. For instance, Kanchanpur Government English Medium High School in Tripura and Phungyar Higher Secondary School in Kamjong, Manipur, saw enrollment increases of over 200%.

Similarly, enrollment at Kabiguru RSV High School in Tripura, Mahatma Gandhi Govt (English Medium) School in Jhotwara, and Govt Sr. Sec School Jai Singh Pura in Rajasthan rose by more than 100%.

Renovations at several government schools in Rajasthan and Tripura, after their conversion to PM SHRI Schools, contributed to increased student enrollment.

In Rajasthan, 26 of the 40 schools experienced enrollment increases of up to 136%. In Tripura, nine out of 40 schools saw enrollment surges of 214%.

Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Telangana have benefitted the most from the 12,079 schools selected to be developed as PM SHRI Schools, accounting for 41.31% of the total.

Uttar Pradesh has chosen 1,710 schools, while Andhra Pradesh has selected 855 schools. Maharashtra and Bihar have chosen 827 and 804 schools, respectively, while Telangana has overseen significant renovations in 794 schools.

“Earlier, the focus was on access to education, but now the focus has shifted to the quality of education. With improvements in infrastructure, teaching quality, and curriculum under the initiative, student enrollment is rising,” said Praveen Prakash, former Principal Secretary of School Education in Andhra Pradesh.

The Samagra Shiksha Act, introduced in 2021, has significantly expanded access to education for a large number of children.

The focus is now shifting towards ensuring the delivery of quality education. From 2008 to 2022, the primary goal was to broaden access to education.

“Now, all stakeholders—teachers, students, parents, and administrators—must work together to transition to a quality-focused education system,” added Prakash.

The PM SHRI Schools were established as part of a centrally supported program with a total project cost of ₹27,360 crore, of which ₹18,128 crore is the central contribution.

The project will run for five years, from 2022–2023 to 2026–2027.

According to data from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 12,079 schools have been selected to become PM SHRI Schools.

“A grant of ₹35 lakh was received by our school after it was converted into a PM SHRI School. This has improved the school's infrastructure and maintenance. The money is being used to enhance laboratories, libraries, and toilets,” said Tarlochan Singh, a history teacher at Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School (Girls) in Punjab.

Punjab, along with other states, has seen increases in both enrollment and retention rates.

The Punjab government launched the School of Eminence (SOE) initiative in May 2023 to transform 118 schools and prevent students from leaving for private schools.

“After being converted to a PM SHRI school, several local schools have managed to retain students because their facilities now match those of SOE schools. Despite initial concerns that the introduction of SOE would lead to declining enrollment, that has not been the case,” added Singh.

PM SHRI Schools have also contributed to increasing female enrollment by improving transportation facilities.

“School buses now operate in remote areas, which has encouraged parents to send their daughters to school. This will further boost the proportion of female students in classrooms,” Singh said.