Union Cabinet approves 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas and 28 new Navodaya Vidyalayas – CNBC TV18

The Union Cabinet on Friday (December 6) approved the establishment of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and 28 new Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs), as announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. Additionally, the Cabinet also approved the expansion of an existing Kendriya Vidyalaya.

The opening of these new KVs will provide affordable, high-quality education to more than 82,000 students across India. The total estimated cost of setting up 85 new KVs and expansion of one existing KV is ₹5,872.08 crore, which will be spread over the next eight years starting from 2025-26.

According to the PTI report, there are currently 1,256 Kendriya Vidyalayas functioning, three of which are located abroad in Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran, with a total of 13.56 lakh students enrolled.

The expansion will also include creation of administrative posts as per the prescribed standards for running a full-fledged Navodaya Vidyalaya (NV) with a capacity of 560 students. This means that 15,680 students will benefit from the 28 new NVs. Each NV will also provide permanent employment to 47 people, creating 1,316 new jobs across the country.

The construction of these schools and development of infrastructure is expected to create many employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers. Additionally, the residential nature of the NV will create demand for local vendors supplying food, furniture, learning materials and essential items like tailoring, housekeeping and security, PTI reported.

Currently, there are 661 approved NVs in India, of which 653 are operational.