Summary of this article
Free residential education for Classes 6–12.
Includes hostel, books, and competitive exam coaching.
Reserved seats for eligible disadvantaged students.
In order to expand access to quality education throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh, the UP government is introducing a scheme, namely, Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodya Vidyalaya (JPNSV). This is a residential school network that will be operated through the state’s social welfare department. The aim behind this initiative is to provide free education, accommodation, and other essential facilities to children who don’t have access to education, be it because they come from economically weaker sections or socially disadvantaged families. The initiatives come as a way to improve education opportunities across the state.
JPNSV schools cater to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backwards Classes (OBC), and economically weaker families from the General category. The initiative offers schools that are affiliated with either the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP). This initiative enables students from all marginalised backgrounds to seek education.
Features of the Scheme
The key features of the scheme are that neither students nor their parents have to bear the cost of education. The government provides free residential education from sixth grade to twelfth grade (10+2). The programme also offers hostel accommodation, meals, uniforms, textbooks, and study material. Schools are also equipped with facilities such as smart classrooms, science labs, libraries, and sports facilities. Students who are in high school, grade 11th and 12th, are also offered free coaching for future competitive exams, which include NEET, JEE, and CUET. Currently, there are 101 JPNSV schools which are managed by the Uttar Pradesh Social Welfare Department. Out of this total, 69 schools are for boys, while the remaining 32 are for girls.
Eligibility Criteria For Admission
Applicants must be residents of Uttar Pradesh and should have passed the 5th grade. Additionally, the annual income of the family should not exceed Rs 46,080 in rural areas and Rs 56,460 in urban areas as per a report by the Times of India.
The admission process is also governed by a reservation policy, under which 60 per cent of the total seats are reserved for SCs, 25 per cent for OBCs, and the remaining 15 per cent for students from EWC families.
Applications for the scheme can be submitted online on the Uttar Pradesh Social Welfare Portal. Candidates register themselves under the scheme and upload their details like name, photograph, previous years' educational certificates, as well as identity proofs. Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya Schools are already set up in 58 districts of Uttar Pradesh, which have now grown into 101 CBSE schools across the state.
The government has introduced several initiatives to make this programme a success, which include dedicated coaching for entrance exams like JEE and NEET, and specialised coaching for girls in Mirzapur. The department has also recruited retired teachers to improve classroom instruction and to adopt best practices in academia.
