- Why in news
- On 9 September 2026, PIB reported that 13,092 schools (about 90% of the 14,500 target) have been selected under PM SHRI as of July 2026, four years after its launch on 7 September 2022.
- What it is
- PM SHRI is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Education. It upgrades existing schools into exemplar institutions that show how NEP 2020 can be put into practice. These schools are meant to mentor neighbouring schools.
- Nature and implementer
- PM SHRI is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme run by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
- Selection process
- Schools are chosen by a three-stage Challenge Mode: State/UT MoU with the Centre, identification of eligible schools through UDISE+ data, then a challenge-based selection.
- Final selection body
- An Expert Committee headed by the Secretary (School Education and Literacy) makes the final selection.
- Minimum scores
- In the challenge, urban schools need at least 70% and rural schools at least 60%.
- Teacher support
- Up to ₹3 lakh per DIET and up to ₹2,500 per teacher is given for training.
Don’t confuse with PM SHRI vs PM POSHAN: PM SHRI upgrades schools into exemplars. PM POSHAN is the school meal scheme; it is only one item assessed in PM SHRI selection.
Don’t confuse with PM SHRI vs Samagra Shiksha: Samagra Shiksha is the broad umbrella scheme for school education. PM SHRI is a separate scheme for exemplar schools.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Shows NEP 2020 in practice at school level and moves focus from infrastructure alone to learning quality.
- Exemplar schools can mentor neighbouring schools, spreading good practice.
Problems
- Funding only about 14,500 of 14.71 lakh schools may widen the gap between selected and other schools.
- Selection depends on minimum benchmarks and State MoUs, so weaker or less willing States may lag.
Way forward
- Strengthen mentoring and clustering so benefits reach neighbouring schools.
- Monitor outcomes through the School Quality Assessment Framework and publish results.
- 2020Mains GS2 · Q18Is NEP 2020 in conformity with SDG-4? Critically examine the statement.
- 2020Mains GS4 · Q1Examine NEP 2020 in light of education as an all-round development tool.
- 2013Mains GS2 · Q12Critically evaluate restructuring of Centrally sponsored schemes for vulnerable sections.
- 2025Prelims Q66Which 15th Finance Commission recommendations on education grants and state incentives are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.PM SHRI is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
- 2.In the Challenge Method of selecting PM SHRI schools, urban schools must score at least 70% and rural schools at least 60%.
- 3.The final selection of PM SHRI schools is made by the NITI Aayog.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.PM SHRI is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy.
True. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Education.
2.The scheme aims to build new schools from scratch in every district.
False. It strengthens existing schools into exemplar institutions.
3.Schools are selected through a Challenge Mode that begins with a State/UT signing an MoU with the Centre.
True. Stage 1 is the MoU between the State/UT and the Centre.
4.The final selection of schools is made by the NITI Aayog.
False. An Expert Committee headed by the Secretary (School Education and Literacy) in the Ministry of Education decides.
5.In the challenge, rural schools must score at least 70% and urban schools at least 60%.
False. Urban schools need 70% and rural schools 60%.
6.Schools run by KVS, NVS and NCERT are excluded from selection under PM SHRI.
False. KVS, NVS and NCERT schools are included among the selected schools.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The PM SHRI scheme has selected 13,092 schools, about 90% of its target of 14,500, four years after its launch in 2022. Examine the key features of the scheme and discuss the challenges in using it to put the National Education Policy 2020 into practice and to improve school quality across India.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.