1 April 2026·PIB

SHRESHTA SCHEME

In this note

1. At a Glance

SHRESHTA = Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas, a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (Dept. of Social Justice & Empowerment) for meritorious Scheduled Caste (SC) students [1][2].
Provides free quality residential education from Class IX to XII in top private CBSE/State-board schools (Mode-I) and grant-in-aid to NGO-run schools/hostels (Mode-II) [2][3].
UPSC relevance: GS-II welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; intersects with education access, Article 46 DPSP, and SC empowerment.

April 2026 PIB release tabled in Parliament reporting state-wise data of students admitted and participating schools under Mode-I & Mode-II of SHRESHTA for 2023-24 to 2025-26 [1].
Earlier evaluation (Dec 2025) showed 15,816 beneficiaries in 2023-24 — 4,135 (26%) under Mode-I and 11,681 (74%) under Mode-II [2].

Original "SHRESHTA" idea announced by Dept. of Social Justice & Empowerment; revised and re-launched w.e.f. 2021-22 by adding the new Mode-I component with NTA-administered entrance test [3].
Formally launched by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar in June 2022 [2].
Builds on earlier Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana and grant-in-aid to NGOs for SC residential schools (now subsumed/aligned as Mode-II) [2].

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment — Department of Social Justice & Empowerment [1].
Target group: SC students with parental annual income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh [1][3].
Entry classes: Class IX and Class XI (after passing VIII and X respectively) [1].
Selection (Mode-I): National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) [2][3].
Mode-I intake: ~3,000 students/year (≈1,500 in Class IX + ≈1,500 in Class XI) into private residential CBSE/State Board schools; allocation via web-based counselling on NETS merit + preferences [1][3].
Mode-II: Grant-in-aid to NGOs running non-residential schools, residential schools and hostels for SC students at primary & secondary level [2].
Cost coverage: Entire school fee + hostel + food borne by Government of India until Class XII [2].
Budget Estimates: 2020-21 ₹100 cr; 2021-22 ₹200 cr; 2022-23 ₹89 cr; 2023-24 ₹104.65 cr [3].
Constitutional anchor: Article 46 (DPSP — promotion of educational/economic interests of SCs/STs/weaker sections); Article 15(4) and 46 for special provisions.

Social

Targets SC students from low-income households, bridging access gap to elite residential schooling [1].
Mode-II channels civil society (NGOs) into SC education delivery, decentralising reach [2].

Administrative

Centre-driven Central Sector Scheme; NTA operationalises entrance, web-counselling automates seat allocation — reducing discretionary bias [1][3].
Dual-mode design balances high-quality elite track (Mode-I) with wider grassroots coverage (Mode-II) — 74% of beneficiaries were under Mode-II in 2023-24 [2].

Economic / Fiscal

BE fluctuated sharply: ₹200 cr (2021-22) → ₹89 cr (2022-23), suggesting absorption issues post-relaunch [3].

Legal / Constitutional

Operationalises Article 46 DPSP; complements RTE Act 2009 by extending free education beyond Class VIII for SC merit-poor cohort.

April 2026: PIB tabled state/UT-wise admissions and school participation data for 2023-24 to 2025-26 under both modes [1].
2023-24 cycle: 15,816 total beneficiaries (Mode-I 4,135; Mode-II 11,681) [2].
BE for 2023-24 set at ₹104.65 cr [3].

Full form: Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas [1].
Implementing ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (NOT Ministry of Education / NOT Tribal Affairs) [1].
Target beneficiaries: Scheduled Caste students only (not ST/OBC) [1].
Parental income ceiling: ₹2.5 lakh per annum [1].
Entry classes: IX and XI [1].
Entrance test: NETS — National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA, conducted by NTA [3].
Mode-I annual seats: ~3,000 in private residential CBSE/State-Board schools [3].
Cost of school + hostel + food: fully borne by Government of India [2].
Scheme revised/relaunched w.e.f. 2021-22 [3].
Launched by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar in June 2022 [2].
BE 2023-24: ₹104.65 crore [3].
2023-24 beneficiaries: 15,816; Mode-II share 74% [2].
Seat allocation: web-based counselling on NETS merit + preferences [1].
Constitutional anchor: Article 46 (DPSP).

GS-II — Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections (SCs); Government policies for development of education; Issues relating to social sector/services.
GS-I — Social empowerment.
Possible question stems:
"Discuss the role of targeted residential-education schemes like SHRESHTA in operationalising Article 46 for Scheduled Castes."
"Examine the dual-mode architecture (private elite schools vs NGO grant-in-aid) of SHRESHTA. Does it risk creating a two-tier outcome?"
"Evaluate the role of the National Testing Agency in equity-oriented schemes like NETS-SHRESHTA."

PM-YASASVI — parallel scholarship scheme for OBC/EBC/DNT students (compare-contrast).
EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential Schools) — ST analogue under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana — predecessor SC hostel scheme.
Post-Matric & Pre-Matric Scholarships for SCs — sibling SC education schemes.
National Testing Agency (NTA) — examination conducting body.
Article 46 & 15(4) — DPSP/FR base for SC welfare.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Art. 338) — oversight body.
RTE Act 2009 — basic education rights framework.

Wrong ministry trap: It is Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, NOT Ministry of Education or Tribal Affairs.
Beneficiary trap: SHRESHTA covers SCs only, not STs (STs have EMRS) or OBCs (covered by PM-YASASVI).
Entry class trap: Admission is in Class IX and XI (not VI or VII as in JNVs/EMRS).
Test confusion: NETS is conducted by NTA, not CBSE or NCERT.
Year confusion: "Launched 2022" vs "revised w.e.f. 2021-22" — both valid in different framings.