SHRESHTA Scheme Student Admissions and School Participation (2023-26)

The SHRESHTA Scheme provides residential education for SC students with family income up to Rs. 2.5 lakh, offering financial assistance up to Rs. 1.35 lakh per student annually.
Admissions are through the NETS exam for classes IX and XI, with 4,135 students in 2023-24, 5,910 in 2024-25, and 6,716 in 2025-26 under Mode-I, and 11,681, 8,371, and 13,038 under Mode-II respectively.
Participating schools/institutions increased from 144 in 2023-24 to 158 in 2025-26 under Mode-I and 137 to 130 under Mode-II, with state-wise variations.