Bengaluru: Even as the Karnataka government is upgrading around 700 schools to KPS Magnet schools across the state and has refused to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), 585 government schools across the state are in the process of being upgraded to PM Shri schools. These schools will have NEP as the base, despite the state government rejecting the policy orally and forming a committee headed by Prof Sukhadeo Thorat to submit a report on NEP.
Though announced in the 2018-19 Union Budget, PM Shri schools started in Karnataka only in 2022. In all, 14,500 government schools across India will be upgraded to PM Shri. Till December 2024, 478 schools in the state were in the list for upgradation, while another 107 were added recently.
Several states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal, opposed these schools, but Karnataka signed an MoU. As of late 2025, Rs 546 crore has been approved to set up these schools, of which Rs 230.5 crore has been released by the Centre.
Since this scheme functions on a 60:40 Central-State funding share, primary schools receive Rs 30-35 lakh and secondary schools up to Rs 1.3 crore. The schools are selected through a transparent challenge method. Various government schools with good strength of students, pass percentage and Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Code can apply online for upgradation to be PM Shri schools and seek funds to develop the school infrastructure. There is intense competition among schools for the selection.
In Karnataka, the upgradation started in 2022 and will likely go on till 2027. Around 25 schools in Bengaluru -- nine from Rural, six from North and 10 from South -- are being planned to be upgraded under the PM Shri scheme.
A government school teacher of a lower primary school in Belagavi said, "Government schools applying for upgradation to PM Shri are allowed to get funds up to Rs 2 crore phase wise. In Karnataka, one of the best PM Shri Schools is located in Kunnala of Ramdurg in Belagavi district. Teachers at this school have utilised the funds systematically. Every classroom has a smart board, while the school has a computer lab, science lab, a hi-tech kitchen and all the equipment required. But at other PM Shri schools, there are no such facilities. Either the money has not been utilised properly by teachers or it hasn't reached them."
