During the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme initiative, initiated by the central government, an unprecedented 800 government schools in Udaipur have submitted their applications. This figure represents a remarkable increase of over 75% compared to the first phase. However, the selection process will be stringent, as only 40 schools, two from each of the 20 district blocks, will be chosen to participate in the program. These schools will need to compete with one another for selection.

Once selected, the central government will provide these schools with support and development opportunities over a span of 5 years, akin to the model followed for Kendriya Vidyalayas. This initiative aims to enhance the quality and infrastructure of these selected schools, fostering improved educational standards and resources for the students.

Government Schools in the Plan

Eligible applicants can submit their applications, and the selection process will prioritize those who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and efforts. It's important to note that every piece of information provided in the application, which is relevant to the selection criteria, holds great significance. Even a minor error or omission can result in disqualification from the program. In situations where there are several schools with similar qualifications, a specialized team from the central government will conduct thorough inspections of the schools before making the final selection. This inspection ensures that the chosen schools meet the specified criteria and standards before being included in the program.

Sushil Kabra, who serves as the district in-charge for the program, provided some insight into the initial phase of the project. He mentioned that out of the intended 40 schools to be selected, only 22 from Udaipur were included. Surprisingly, the list featured just one school from each location, with a mere two schools chosen from Bhinder.

Although the central government has already allocated a budget of Rs 100 crores to the state for this initiative, the distribution of these funds to the districts has been delayed due to electoral regulations. It is expected that once the elections are concluded, the project will kickstart in accordance with the initial planning.

The allocation of the budget is contingent upon the project's requirements, and the specific funding for each school has not been predetermined. Notably, the central government introduced this initiative in 2020 with the ambitious goal of modernizing 14,500 schools nationwide, earmarking a substantial budget of Rs 27,360 crores for this purpose.

In March of the same year, the state government also launched its own version of the program. At that time, owing to limited awareness, only 200 schools within the district submitted applications, and just 22 of them were ultimately selected. On a national scale, including the state's participation, a total of 6,207 schools were chosen to be part of this transformative initiative. 

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