Jammu, Dec 07: In a significant move to enhance access to quality education across India, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on Friday approved the opening of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and 28 new Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs). This decision is expected to benefit over 82,000 students and provide high-quality, affordable education across the country.
Of the 85 new KVs, Jammu and Kashmir will receive the highest number, with 13 new schools set to be established across the region. Arunachal Pradesh will receive the highest number of JNVs, with eight schools planned.
KVs are designed for children of central government and defence employees, while JNVs cater to students from rural areas, offering residential schooling from Class VI to XII. Currently, there are 1,256 functional KVs, including three abroad — Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran — and 13.56 lakh students are studying in these schools, and 653 JNVs across the country, an official statement said.
A total of 5388 direct permanent employment opportunities will be created with the opening of new KVs.
The new KVs will be set up over a period of eight years, beginning in 2025-26, while the JNVs will be established over the next five years, from 2024-25 to 2028-29. Collectively, the new institutions will add capacity for nearly one lakh students and create about 6,600 new jobs, according to the government.
The expansion is strategically planned, with new KVs to be established in areas with significant demand, such as those with large populations of central government employees. For example, in Jammu & Kashmir, a larger number of KVs have been approved to cater to the families of CRPF personnel stationed there. Similarly, a KV has been approved in Andhra Pradesh to accommodate the staff of a newly established training institution.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the new KVs will be set up in the following locations: Gool, Ramban, Bani, and Ramkote (Kathua district); Reasi and Kakriyal Katra; Mughal Maidan (Kishtwar); Gulpur (Poonch); Vijaypur (Samba); Panchari (Udhampur); Drugmulla (Kupwara); Ratnipora and Galander Chandhara (Pulwama).
As of date, there are 1,256 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas, including three abroad — Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran — and 13.56 lakh students are studying in these schools, an official statement said. A total of 5388 direct permanent employment opportunities will be created with the opening of new KVs.
The Government of India had approved the Scheme of Kendriya Vidyalayas in November 1962 to provide educational facilities of uniform standard throughout the country for the children of transferable Central Government/Defence employees. Consequently, “Central Schools Organization” was started as a unit of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. Initially, 20 Regimental Schools in Defence Stations were taken over as Central Schools during the academic year 1963-64.
In accordance with the National Education Policy 2020, almost all Kendriya Vidyalayas have been designated as PM Shri schools, and acting as exemplar Schools for others. The KVs are some of the most sought after schools, due to their quality teaching, innovative pedagogy and up-to-date infrastructure. There has been continuous increase in the number of students applying for admission to class I in KVs every year and the performance of the students of the Kendriya Vidyalayas in the board examinations conducted by CBSE has consistently been the best among all educational systems,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the move has been hailed by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising the establishment of new KVs in Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he noted that over 50% of the new schools will be located in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing educational infrastructure in the region.
This expansion of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas will play a crucial role in improving access to quality education for students in underserved areas, contributing to the government’s broader goal of fostering inclusive and equitable education across the country.
