Chandigarh, Nov. 18 -- The Centre has decided to review the functioning of schools being upgraded across the country under the Prime Minister Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. The Union ministry of education is sending three-member teams to all 33 states and UTs to assess the working of government schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Navodaya Vidyalayas selected under this centrally sponsored scheme, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The teams, comprising ministry officials, consultants, and regional officials of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, will interact with local education authorities, school teachers, students, and parents. According to a letter sent last week by the department of school education and literacy under the central ministry to the school education departments of various states and union territories, these teams will assess academic activities, infrastructure, student learning outcomes, and overall school management in PM SHRI schools. Each team has been assigned one district in each state for the review. The central team, which includes a ministry official, a regional officer of KVS, and a consultant from the educational consultants of India, was in Punjab on Monday to assess the functioning of these schools. "They are reviewing the implementation of various components of the NEP 2020 in government schools, KVs, and Navodaya Vidyalayas," an official of Punjab's school education department said on the condition of anonymity. There are 419 PM SHRI schools in Punjab, including 274 higher secondary schools, 81 secondary schools, one upper primary school of the state government, 40 Kendriya Vidyalayas, and 23 Navodaya Vidyalayas. The central government has approved Rs.526 crore for financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26 to develop the 356 government-run PM SHRI schools in Punjab as 'exemplar schools' to provide high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive, and joyful environment. The Rs.27,360-crore scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2022 to upgrade 14,500 schools nationwide over five years, with a central share of Rs.18,128 crore. A total of 13,070 schools have been selected through the challenge-mode process. When the scheme was launched, the Punjab government initially agreed to participate and signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2022, after which 241 state-run schools were selected. However, it pulled out of the programme in July 2023 and joined non-BJP-ruled states such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, which had not signed the MoU with the central ministry for implementing the scheme. The AAP government cited its own 'Schools of Eminence' scheme and plans to transform 1,000 other state-run schools into specialised schools under proposed 'Schools of Happiness' and 'Schools of Brilliance' schemes as the reason for opting out. However, after the central government stopped funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the Punjab government decided to participate in the programme. The Kerala government, which had opposed the NEP 2020, signed the MoU in October 2025 for PM SHRI implementation but reversed its decision last week to suspend rollout of the scheme....