Srinagar, August 11 (KNS): Jammu & Kashmir will see 396 of its government schools transformed into “exemplar institutions” under the Centre’s PM-SHRI scheme, with upgrades ranging from smart classrooms and science labs to vocational training hubs and career counselling facilities, according to data placed before Parliament on Monday.

The PM-SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) initiative, spread over five years from 2022–23 to 2026–27, aims to make selected schools model campuses showcasing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in full combining cognitive skill-building with what officials describe as “equitable, inclusive and joyful” learning spaces.

The Ministry of Education said J&K’s PM-SHRI schools will be saturated with facilities identified through state-level gap assessments including computer labs, integrated science laboratories, libraries with upgraded furniture, internet connectivity, playgrounds with sports infrastructure, and “Jadui Pitara” learning kits for primary students.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Teacher training is also central to the scheme. The ministry said faculty in these schools will undergo modules in competency-based education, ICT integration, mental health support, and classroom data analysis, delivered through District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).

The scheme caps the selection at two schools per block or urban local body, meaning the 396 schools in J&K represent what the Centre sees as the best-positioned institutions to lead by example.

Officials say these campuses will double up as demonstration and resource centres for neighbouring schools, potentially influencing teaching practices across the Union Territory.(KNS)