MPs Urge Centre to Set Up Navodaya Schools in Every District Across AP

Andhra Pradesh MPs Lingamaneni Ramesh and Tangella Uday Srinivas have urged the Centre to sanction Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in the newly formed districts of the State, seeking to restore district-wise coverage of quality residential education following the 2022 reorganisation.

The MPs met Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a representation seeking steps to establish JNVs in districts that do not currently have one. They requested that admissions and academic activities in the proposed schools be introduced in a phased manner from the 2027-28 academic year.

Andhra Pradesh had 13 districts before the 2022 reorganisation, and every one of those districts had a Navodaya school. The State subsequently doubled its administrative map to 26 districts by creating 13 new districts, but the JNV network remained at 15 schools. As a result, several newly created districts did not inherit a Navodaya Vidyalaya.

The MPs said the absence of JNVs in these districts was particularly affecting talented students from rural areas, who otherwise have limited access to quality residential education. They stressed that expanding the network would provide meritorious students in the newly created districts with opportunities comparable to those available in the older districts.

According to recent parliamentary data, Andhra Pradesh currently has 15 sanctioned and functional JNVs, while 13 districts remain uncovered. The issue has also been raised in Parliament in the past, with proposals seeking new JNVs for districts created after the reorganisation.

The MPs informed the Union Minister that State Education Minister Nara Lokesh had already submitted proposals to the Centre on expanding the Navodaya network. They said the State government was ready to provide the land, temporary buildings and necessary infrastructure required under Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti norms to facilitate the establishment of the schools.

They also sought a joint review meeting involving the Union Education Ministry, the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, the Andhra Pradesh government and MPs during the ongoing Parliament session. Such a meeting, they said, could help address procedural requirements and speed up approvals.

The demand assumes significance as JNVs are fully residential, co-educational schools offering Classes VI to XII, with a particular focus on providing quality education to talented children from rural areas. The schools can therefore play an important role in reducing disparities in educational access between urban and rural regions.

The MPs said extending the Navodaya network to all districts would strengthen the State's educational infrastructure and advance the objectives of NEP 2020 and the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.