OBJECTIVES AND SILENT FEATURES OF NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA
The Navodaya Vidyalaya System is a unique experiment unparalleled in the annals of school education in India and elsewhere. Its significance lies in the selection of talented rural children as the target group and the attempt to provide them with quality education comparable to the best in a residential school system. Such children are found in all sections of society, and in all areas including the most backward. But, so far, good quality education has been available only to well-to-do sections of society, and the poor have been left out. It was felt that children with special talent or aptitude should be provided opportunities to proceed at a faster pace, by making good quality education available to them, irrespective of their capacity to pay for it.These talented children otherwise would have been deprived of quality modern education traditionally available only in the urban areas. Such education would enable students from rural areas to compete with their urban counterparts on an equal footing. The National Policy on Education-1986 envisaged the setting up of residential schools, to be called Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas that would bring out the best of rural talent.
Objectives
Salient Features
Navodaya Vidyalayas draw their student strength from talented children, selected on the basis of a merit test, called the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test, designed, developed and conducted by NCERT initially and now, by the CBSE. The test is held annually on All India basis and at block and district levels. It is objective, class neutral and is so designed as to ensure that rural children are not at disadvantage.
Admissions in Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalayas primarily for children from the rural areas, with provision of 75% seats for rural children. Seats are reserved for children from the SC and ST communities in proportion to their population in the district but not less than the national average. 1/3 of the seats are for girl students. 3% of the seats are for disabled children.
Navodaya Vidyalayas offer free education to talented children from Class-VI to XII. Navodaya Vidyalayas are affiliated to the CBSE. Entry to a Navodaya Vidyalaya is in Class-VI only along with lateral entry into Class IX & XI. Each Navodaya Vidyalaya is a co-educational residential institution providing free boarding and lodging, expenses on uniforms, text books, stationery, to and from rail and bus fare. However, a nominal fee @ Rs. 200/- per month is charged from students of Class IX to XII for Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi. The students belonging to SC, ST, categories, girls disabled students and children of the families below poverty line are exempted from this fee.
The Regional Language is generally the medium of instruction from Class-VI to VIII and from Class- IX onwards, it is English for Science and Mathematics and Hindi for Humanities subjects.
Navodaya Vidyalayas aim at inculcating values of national integration through migration scheme though which the inter regional exchange of students between Hindi and Non-Hindi speaking States and vice-versa takes place for one academic year. Efforts are made to promote better understanding of the unity in diversity and cultural heritage through various activities.
Navodaya Vidyalayas are located in rural areas across the country. The State Govt. is to offer cost free land and rent free temporary buildings for the setting up of a Navodaya Vidyalaya.
In Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, all out efforts are made to develop competencies among students in scholastic and non-scholastic areas of education which leads to effective personality development of each child. Indicated below in the comparison of average pass percentage of NVS that of other school systems like Kendriya Vidyalayas and independent schools wherein Navodaya's average pass percentage is significantly higher than the national average of other schools affiliated to CBSE.
To provide a progressive and forward looking school system in the rural areas, the scheme provides for a reservation of 75% students from the rural areas. Reservation to SC, ST students is in proportion to their population subject to a minimum of national average of these categories. 33% seats are reserved for girl students.
1,80,391 students were on the rolls of Navodaya Vidyalayas at the end of the academic session.
The percentage of students belonging to SC/ST categories, in the Navodaya Vidyalayas is well above the national norms (15% SC & 7.5% ST) e.g.
Year SC ST Gen. Girls Boys Rural Urban
2005-06 23.87% 15.19% 60.93% 35.03% 64.97% 76.94% 23.06%
Thus the JNVs are serving rural students, specially girls, SC & ST students in the excess of national average. This has also been appreciated by the Standing Committee of Parliament of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Samiti
Navodaya Vidyalayas are run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti which is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Secondary & Higher Education, Govt of India. The Chairman of the Samiti is the Hon'ble Minister of Human Resource Development. Hon'ble Minister of State for Education in the Ministry of H.R.D. is the Vice Chairman of the Samiti.
The Samiti functions through an Executive Committee under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister of HRD. It is responsible for the management of all affairs including allocation of funds to the Samiti and has the authority to exercise all powers of the Samiti. The Executive Committee is assisted by two Sub-Committees, i.e. Finance Committee and Academic Advisory Committee, in its functions.
The executive head of the administrative pyramid is the Commissioner who executes the policies laid down by the Samiti's Executive Committee. He/she is assisted at the Headquarters level by Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Asstt. Commissioners. At the Regional level, he/she is assisted by the Deputy Commissioners and Asstt. Commissioners. The Organisational Chart of the Samiti is given at Appendix-III.
The Samiti has established 8 Regional Offices for the administration and monitoring of Navodaya Vidyalayas under their jurisdiction. For each Vidyalaya, there is a Vidyalaya Advisory Committee and a Vidyalaya Management Committee for the general supervision of the Vidyalaya. District Magistrate of the concerned district is the Chairman of Vidyalaya level Committee with local educationists, public representatives and officers from the District as members. The Vidyalaya Management Committee has two sub-committees i.e. Vidyalaya Purchase Advisory Sub-Committee and Vidyalaya Appointments Sub-Committee.
Regional Offices of NVS
Eight Regional Offices are established at Bhopal, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Pune & Shillong with jurisdiction over different States and UTs .
| Regions | No. of JNVs | States & No. of JNVs |
| Bhopal | 94 | Madhya Pradesh (48), Chhattisgarh (16), Orissa (30). |
| Chandigarh | 45 | Punjab (18), Himachal Pradesh (12), J&K (14) & Chandigarh U.T. (1). |
| Hyderabad | 70 | Andhra Pradesh (22), Karnataka (27), Kerala (14), Pondicherry (4), A.&N. Islands (2) & Lakshadweep (1). |
| Jaipur | 54 | Rajasthan (32), Haryana (20), Delhi(2). |
| Lucknow | 82 | Uttar Pradesh (69),Uttaranchal (13). |
| Patna | 75 | Bihar (38), Jharkhand (22), West Bengal (15). |
| Pune | 60 | Maharashtra (32), Gujarat(23), Goa(2), Daman & Diu (2), Dadra & Nagar Haveli (1). |
| Shillong | 85 | Meghalaya(7), Manipur(9), Mizoram (8), Arunachal Pradesh (16), Nagaland (11), Tripura(4), Sikkim(4), Assam (26). |
Total 565 JNVs As on 31.03.2007
