CCEA approves setting up of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in 62 uncovered districts

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved opening of one Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in each of the 62 uncovered districts.
These JNVs will provide good quality modern education to the talented children prominently from rural areas. Nearly 35,000 students will be benefitted from these JNVs.
Key Facts

• The expenditure for this purpose during the 12th Plan will be 109.53 crore rupees with a spill over amount of 2,761.56 crore rupees from 2017-18 to 2024-25.
• All JNVs are residential and co-educational in nature. It is compulsory for all the staff and students to reside in the Vidyalaya campus.
• These 62 new JNVs will provide direct permanent employment to 2914 individuals. They will also generate opportunities to the local vendors for supply of essential commodities.
• It will also create large opportunity for local service providers such as tailor cobbler, barber, manpower for housekeeping and security services etc.

Background

• There are 598 sanctioned JNVs in 576 districts spread across 35 States/UTs as on date.  Out of these, 591 are functional.
• Each JNV has classes from VI to XII with a sanctioned strength of 80 students per class and total strength of 560 students. One third of the total seats are reserved for girls.
• Admissions to JNVs in class VI are done through an entrance examination.  At least 75% of the seats in a district are filled by candidates selected from rural areas of the district.
• The reservation of seats in favour of children belonging to SC/ST is provided in proportion to their population in the concerned district.
• However this reservation is subject to the condition that it is not less than the national reservation percentage (15% for SC and 7.5% for ST).

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2016