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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wednesday approved the establishment of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas across 17 states and Union Territories.
These include 20 schools in districts that currently do not have a KV, 14 such in aspirational districts (underdeveloped districts selected by the NITI Aayog for government programmes), four in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts, and five in the Northeast or in hilly areas.
Kendriya Vidyalayas are meant for children of Central government employees, and the new schools are expected to cater to the needs of an “increased number of Central government employees,” according to a government statement.
The 57 new KVs are expected to cost Rs 5,862.55 crore over nine years, including both capital and operational expenditures.
The new schools will add to the existing number of 1,288 KVs. These schools will also have pre-primary sections, known as ‘Balvatikas’. With an estimated enrolment of 1,520 students in a single KV, as many as 86,640 students are likely to benefit.
Last year, the Cabinet approved the setting up of 85 new KVs across 19 states and Union Territories.
Data presented by the Centre in response to a question in Lok Sabha in July showed that the number of new students enrolled in KVs fell to a five-year low in 2024-25 (1.39 lakh). New enrolments stood at 1.95 lakh in 2020-21. As of June this year, around 13.62 lakh students were enrolled in KVs.
KVs are run by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education. All KVs are affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and follow a common curriculum based on National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks.
Although the admission process of KVs follows specific guidelines and primarily caters to children of Central government employees and defence personnel, others are considered based on seat availability.
