On February 1, Chhattisgarh School Education Minister Brijmohan Agrawal requested the Centre to open Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in all districts of the state, officials said. In this regard, Agrawal requested for a meeting with Union Cabinet Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi, they added, as stated in a report by PTI.
Further, he also urged the union minister to hike the Centre's share in the union government-sponsored schemes related to his departments, the officials said. During the meeting, Agrawal told Pradhan that of the 33 districts in Chhattisgarh, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas run by the Centre have been approved in 16 of them.
Therefore, he urged him to sanction these schools in the remaining districts also, a statement issued by the state's public relations department said. Maintaining that share of the Centre and the state in the union government-run schemes like Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI Yojana and Mid-Day Meal is 40 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, he sought a hike in the Centre's contribution for these programmes, it said, PTI reported.
Additionally, Agrawal requested the Centre to sanction Rs 2,606 lakh for the Laika Sanwar Yojana under the Samagra Shiksha scheme (an integrated education programme covering the entire gamut from pre-school to Class XII) and Rs 110.86 lakh under the Right to Education Act, said the statement.
He urged the union minister to reopen the portal of Pradhan Mantri Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM USHA), aimed at providing funding to eligible state higher educational institutions, for Chhattisgarh. The state minister also emphasised the need for more fund allocations in central government schemes targeted at improving higher education and to implement provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The statement stated that Pradhan assured a positive response to the state minister's proposals, as stated in a report by PTI.
