The Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) Scheme, launched on September 7, 2022, is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, with a total project cost of ₹27,360 crore across 2022-23 to 2026-27. The scheme aims to develop over 14,500 existing schools as exemplar institutions aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision.
As of July 2026, the scheme has selected 13,092 schools across 36 States and Union Territories, representing approximately 90% of the target. This includes schools under Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The selected schools comprise 1,305 primary schools, 3,102 upper primary schools, 3,141 secondary schools, and 5,544 higher secondary schools, along with 80 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), 913 KVS schools, 620 NVS schools, and 4 NCERT schools, covering 725 districts and 8,340 blocks/ULBs.
The scheme employs a three-stage Challenge Mode selection process: States/UTs first sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre; eligible schools are identified based on UDISE+ data minimum benchmarks; and schools compete through challenge conditions requiring urban schools to score at least 70% and rural schools 60% on assessment parameters including infrastructure, learning outcomes, pedagogy, PM POSHAN, vocational education, green initiatives, and stakeholder commitment.
Financially, the central share of the approved Project Approval Board outlay increased by approximately 107% from ₹2,520 crore in 2023-24 to ₹5,224 crore in 2026-27. The scheme focuses on six major pillars derived from NEP 2020: inclusive learning, mentorship, green schools, experiential learning, learning outcomes, quality infrastructure, future-ready skills, and quality assessment through the School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF).
PM SHRI schools serve as mentor institutions for neighbouring schools, promoting technology integration with ICT facilities, smart classrooms, and digital platforms like DIKSHA. The scheme provides financial assistance of up to ₹3 lakh per District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) for capacity-building and up to ₹2,500 per teacher for training subject teachers, principals, special educators, ICT teachers, and master trainers. The initiative emphasizes multilingual education, with UDISE+ 2025-26 data recording 6,102 Sanskrit teachers, 1,994 Urdu teachers, and 9,152 regional language teachers in PM SHRI schools.
The scheme represents a shift from infrastructure-centric development to holistic, equitable, and future-ready education, aiming to benefit over 20 lakh students directly while creating a ripple effect of quality improvement across India's education system of 14.71 lakh schools serving 24.69 crore students.