Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Scheme “SHRESHTA”

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the “SHRESHTA”- Scheme.

What is SHRESHTA Scheme?

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Full-Form: Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) 

Objective: To provide high-quality education for meritorious but poor Scheduled Castes(SC) students in CBSE-affiliated reputed residential schools across the country. 

Eligibility: The students belonging to Scheduled Castes studying in class 8th and 10th in the current academic year are eligible for availing of the benefits of the scheme.

– However, students belonging to marginalized income groups within the SC community are eligible only if their parental annual income is up to Rs.2.5 Lakh. 

Selection Process: Students are selected through a transparent mechanism through a National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS). The test is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in classes 9th and 11th.

– Successful candidates, after following the e-counseling process, are given admission to the school of their choice anywhere in the country for their academic persuasion.

Significance of the Scheme: The Scheme will be beneficial for SC students who could not reach for higher quality education. It will also bring a drastic change for the betterment of their life.

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Scheme “SHRESHTA” published in PIB on 3rd June 2022.