Education & Skill Schemes
Government Schemes · शिक्षा और कौशल योजनाएं · 18 facts
PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Scheme): Renamed 2021; covers 11.8 crore children in 11.2 lakh schools; free meals to Classes 1-8; reduces dropout rates; nutritional supplement
Samagra Shiksha 2.0: Integrated scheme for school education (pre-primary to class 12); replaces SSA, RMSA, TE; Rs 2.94 lakh crore for 2021-26; teacher training, digital tools
NEP 2020 (National Education Policy): 5+3+3+4 structure (Foundational-Preparatory-Middle-Secondary); mother tongue instruction till Grade 5; multidisciplinary; no hard streams
PM VIDYA (e-learning COVID initiative): 200 TV channels (DTH) one class one channel; DIKSHA app for e-content; radio and podcast classes; for students without internet
SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds): MOOC platform; 3500+ courses; 3 crore+ enrollments; covers school, UG, PG, professional courses; free
PM Research Fellowship (PMRF): For PhD in IITs/IISc; Rs 70,000-80,000 monthly fellowship; Rs 2 lakh research grant; for top BTech/integrated MSc graduates
NTA (National Testing Agency): Conducts NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET, UGC-NET; established 2017; computer-based tests; 200+ cities; 2 crore+ students appear annually
RTE Act 2009 (Right to Education): Free and compulsory education for 6-14 years (Classes 1-8); 25% seats for EWS in private schools; no detention till Class 8 (amended)
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): For tribal children in 50%+ tribal population blocks; Class 6-12 boarding school; 740 schools target; English medium; free food, lodging
NIPUN Bharat: Foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3; by 2026-27; 22 crore children; 'Reading with understanding and Doing basic arithmetic'; Rs 2688 crore
AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education): Regulates technical education — engineering, management, architecture, pharmacy, hotel management; approves 12,000+ institutions
National Scholarship Portal: Centralised portal for 50+ central and state scholarships; Aadhaar-linked; direct transfer; Rs 3000 crore distributed annually to 1.5 crore+ students
DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing): National e-learning platform; 3800+ courses; teacher training modules; used by 1.26 crore teachers; 35 crore+ content plays
CUET (Common University Entrance Test): Single entrance for 200+ central and participating universities; NTA conducts; replaces individual university entrance tests from 2022
PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI): 14,500 schools upgraded as model schools; implementing NEP 2020; Rs 27,360 crore for 2022-27; smart classrooms, labs, sports
Vidyanjali 2.0: Volunteer/CSR contribution to govt schools; businesses can donate equipment, books, infrastructure; 1.5 lakh schools registered; corporate social responsibility
National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF): Annual ranking by Education Ministry; 13 categories; IIT Madras ranked #1 overall 2023; drives quality improvement in higher education
Study Abroad Scholarship: Padho Pardesh (minority overseas scholarship); Dr Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme (Dalit overseas scholarship); National Overseas Scholarship for SC/ST