New Delhi, September 7: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 27,360 crore scheme for setting up over 14,000 PM-SHRI schools across the country.

Under the scheme, over 14,000 schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, will be strengthened to emerge as PM-SHRI Schools (PM ScHools for Rising India), Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Writes to PM Narendra Modi, Urges Him to Make Plan With All States to Upgrade 10 Lakh Government Schools Across India (Watch Video).

The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5 on the occasion of Teachers Day, will seek to strengthen existing schools from amongst those managed by the Central and state governments, as well as local bodies.

The total project cost would be Rs 27,360 crore for five years. Of this, the central share would be Rs 18,128 crore. The government expects this scheme to benefit 187 lakh students.