Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are a system of residential schools in India that aim to provide good quality education to talented rural children. Some key points:
- JNVs were established in 1986 under the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti to help talented rural children receive an education equivalent to the best urban schools.
- There are now around 598 JNVs across India, with one school in each district. Admission is through a common entrance exam and aims for a student body comprising 75% rural and 33% girl students.
- JNVs provide free boarding and education from grades 6 through 12, following the CBSE syllabus
2. INTRODUCTION
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are a system of alternate
schools for gifted students in India. They are run by Navodaya
Vidyalaya Samiti, New Delhi, an autonomous organization under the
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of
Education, Government of India. JNVs are fully residential and co-
educational schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE), New Delhi, with classes from VI to XII standard.
JNVs are specifically tasked with finding talented children in rural
areas of India and providing them with an education equivalent to
the best residential school system, without regard to their family's
socio-economic condition.
JNVs exist all over India, with the exception of Tamil Nadu. There
are approximately 598 JNVs across India (one school per district) as
of 2011-12 academic year.
3. History
The concept of opening Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in every
district of India was born as a part of section 5.15 in New Policy on
Education (NPE86)
In 1986, the concept of NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA SAMITI came into
existence during the Prime Minister ship of Late Rajiv Gandhi. He
was a great visionary. It was then decided to open a school of rural
meterious students who are deprived of urban facilities. It was also
decided to open one navodaya vididayala in each district . starting
with two JNVS. Today there are around 600 JNVs raising the flag of
good quality of modern education through learning by doing JNV
provides education through playing method or we can say through
non-traditional method.
4. MISSION AND VISION
The National Policy on Education-1986 envisaged setting up of
residential schools, to be called Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas that
would bring out the best of rural talent.
It was felt that children with special talent or aptitude should be
provided opportunities to progress at a faster pace by making good
quality education available to them irrespective of their capacity to pay
for it. Such education would enable students for rural areas to
compete with their urban counterparts on an equal footing.
The Navodaya Vidyalaya System which began as an unique
experiment, is today 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.
5. OBJECTIVES OF NAVODAYA
VIDYALAYA SAMITI
To establish, endow, maintain, control and manage schools(hereinafter called the
‘Navodaya Vidyalaya’)And to do all acts and things necessary for or conductive to the
promotion of such schools which will have the following objectives:
To provide good quality modern education-including a strong component of culture inculcation of
values, awareness of the environment, adventure activities and physical education- to the talented
children predominantly from the rural areas without regard to their family’s socio-economic
condition.
To provide facilities, at a suitable stage, for instruction through a common medium, viz., Hindi and
English, all over the country.
Offer a common core-curriculum of ensuring comparability in standards and to facilitate and
understanding of the common and composite heritage of our people.
To progressively bring students from one part of the country to another in each school to promote
national integration and enrich the social content.
To establish, develop, maintain and manage hostels for the residence of students of
Navodaya Vidyalayas.
To aid, establish and conduct other institutions a may be required for the furtherance of
society’s objects in any part of India.
To do all such things as may be considered necessary, incidental or conductive to the
attainment of all or any of the objects of the Society.
6. SALIENT FEATURES OF
NAVODAYA VIDYALAYAS
JNVST: Entrance on the basis of Merit
Navodaya Vidyalaya draw their student strength from talented children,
selected on the basis of a merit test, called the Jawahar Navodaya
Vidyalaya Selection Tes, designed, developed and conducted initially by
NCERT and how 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 a disadvantage.
Reservation of Seats
Admission in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas is primarily for children
from the rural areas, with provision of at least 75% seats for rural
children. Seats are reserved for children from 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 filled by girl students.3% of the
seats are for disabled children.
7. SALIENT FEATURES OF
NAVODAYA
VIDYALAYAS
Co-educational Residential Schools with Free Education
Navodaya Vidyalayas are affiliated to CBSE and offer free education to
talented children from Class-VI to XII. Entry to Navodaya Vidyalaya is
made in Class-VI with lateral entry in Class-IX & XI. Each Navodaya is
co-educational residential institution providing free boarding and lodging,
expenses on uniforms, text books, stationery, to and fro rail and bus fare
to students.
However, a nominal fee @ Rs. 200/- per month is charger from students
of Class- IX to Class XII as Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi. The students
belonging to SC, ST categories, girls, disabled students and children of
the families Below Poverty Line(BPL) are exempted from payment of this
fee.
8. SALIENT FEATURES OF
NAVODAYA
VIDYALAYAS Adherence to Three-Language Formula
The Scheme of Navodaya Vidyalayas provides for implementation of the
Three Language Formula. The third language taught in Hindi speaking
districts is linked with the migration of students. All Navodaya Vidyalayas
follow the Three Language Formula i.e. Regional language, English and
Hindi.
Medium of Instruction
The medium of instruction will be mother-tongue/regional language up to
VII or VIII class. Thereafter the common medium would be Hindi/ English
in all Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Promotion of National Integration
Navodaya Vidyalayas aim at inculcating values of national integration
through migration scheme. Migration is an inter-regional exchange of
students between Hindi and Non- Hindi speaking districts, which takes
place foe one academic year in Class-IX. Efforts are made to promote
better understanding of the unity is diversity and cultural heritage through
various activities.
9. Organisational Structure
The Samiti functions through an Executive Committee under the Chairmanship of
Honorable 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 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.
11. Admission
Admission to the JNVs requires qualifying in an entrance exam, called the JNVST,
designed, developed and conducted by NCERT earlier and now by the CBSE,
except lateral admissions in the class IX and XI to the very limited seats held on
annually apparently on February 2 Sunday. It is administered by the respective
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya regional center. The test encompasses
reasoning/Mental ability skills, Maths, and Regional language. The school provides
reservation as per mandate of Govt. of India, at least 75% selection of students from
rural areas, maximum 25% from urban areas and fixed 33% to girl students. The
JNV Samiti takes extensive care to make the applications available (and to
communicate their availability through multiple media outlets) to far-flung rural
districts, so as to properly serve this under-served population. Every year every
JNV select about 80 most meritorious students. There is no admission fee and no
re-admission fee however the non below poverty line and General category male
students of Class IX to XII are charged 200 per month in welfare of Vidyalayas₹
called Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi.
12. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
In Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, all out efforts are
made to develop competencies among students in
scholastic and non-scholastic areas of education
leading to effective personality development of each
child. Scholastic excellence can be seen in the
comparison of average, pass percentage of NVS and
that of other school systems like Kendriya Vidyalayas
and Private schools.
14. Cultural activities
Cultural activities are a key part of the JNV
program. Each school has a music hall where
the students are taught to play different musical
instruments. Inter-school competitions are held
at all India level.
15. Sports
JNVs give great emphasis to sports. Every JNV provides
facilities for handball, football, volleyball, basketball, kho-
kho, badminton, kabaddi, hockey, and cricket. The daily
schedule allots at least two hours a day toward sports or
other play activities. The campuses also provide a
gymnasium and multi-purpose room for indoor games.
Inter-school competitions are also yearly once at cluster,
regional, national, and SGFI (School Games Federation of
India) level.
16. Scouting, Guiding and
NCC
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti is recognised as a state for
Scouting and Guiding activities by the Bharat Scouts and
Guides. Navodaya students regularly and actively
participate in programmes of BSG. NCC is being
introduced in JNVs in a phased manner. Samiti had a
total cadet strength of 9420 during 2003-2004. As part of
NCC training, students of the JNVs attended several
camps and excelled themselves.
17. Migration
One of the important features of the JNV scheme is an exchange
programme wherein students visit JNVs in different linguistic regions .
The aim of the exchange program is focused on national integration.
According to the scheme, selected 30% of 9th class students are
exchanged between JNVs of non-Hindi speaking region and Hindi
speaking region, for one year and students of two collaborated
navodayas are taught language of their associated state as third
language for four years, from class 6th-9th. s.
18. Importance of JNVs
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya is a totally residential school
which admits children at the young age of 10-11 and
teaches them for around 7 years till they finish high school.
Though at first all of us Navodayans feel bad for being
away from home and not with their family, it imbibes in us
lot of qualities. Here are some of those.
Self Empowerment
From a very small age we are own our own and are taught
to take care of ourselves. We do our our laundry, dishes all
on our own, which teaches us to be responsible from the
very childhood. You can always expect a Navodayan to do
his own chores or help others throughout life.
19. Importance of JNVs
An open mind
We are given a new family once we get in there. We get friends
from all walks of life. We learn to respect and love people
irrespective of their religion, caste, gender or color. This we carry
forward throughout our life. We don't judge or discriminate people
on these grounds anytime.
A good educational structure
Navodaya follows one of the best curriculum in the country
proposed by NCERT. We were taught all the essential things
needed to follow any stream of our choice once we are out of the
school. The teachers stay in campus, so are accessible during any
fair amount of time for extra help. The mandatory study time instill
in us a good education on time management and a discipline from
a very small age.
20. Importance of JNVs
Chance to mingle and learn with students of other states and culture.
Every Navodaya is associated with a sister Navodaya from another part of the
country, between which a small amount of pupils are transferred to study for 1
year (9th standard, earlier it used to be both 9th and 10th). This provides a
good chance for some children to travel to the distant part of the country and
learn there and understand the culture. Those who opt not to go are also not
under any disadvantage as a group of students from that school comes to this
school.
We are good at sports
Mandatory physical exercise routine during mornings and an hour of games in
the evening keeps most of us fit. And we know how to play most of the games
at least to a decent level. Some of us go on to make good sports persons. Most
of us are drafted to a sports team in college in the very first try itself. We have
annual sports competitions from which talented sports persons can go up til
national levels.
21. Importance of JNVs
We love reading
Television or internet (at least during the time I studied, 1993-2000)
was not a normal thing in our daily schedule. We were allowed
screening of a movie during Sundays and other national holidays.
Other than that most of our entertainment came from reading books.
Most of us generate an affinity towards reading and some of us go on
to become good writers. All of our schools are equipped with good
libraries.
We develop thick friendships
Since we lived for seven years under the same roof, we develop thick
friendships which last for a lifetime. I remember all my classmates
including their roll numbers even after 15 years. We keep in touch
even now.
22. Importance of JNVs
Lots of cultural and technical competitions
We are given ample platform to develop the dancer, singer, orator,
painter, dancer, dramatists, playwrights etc in us.. We used to make
satires on some of the things we didn't like in our school. We were not
reprimanded or punished heavily for those. The teachers and staff took
it in the spirit.
The art and SUPW (Socially useful productive work) classes taught us
usefull skills outside normal curriculum too. I once hardbound all my
textbooks using a class took on book binding at an SUPW class.
There is also technical exhibitions conducted every year at various
schools.
23. Importance of JNVs
We volunteer for social work.
The Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, was a normal thing long before it was
announced. We as children used to go clean the surroundings on
every October 2. All the other normal weeks we were grouped into
teams which clean the dormitories and our toilets on a regular people.
We were taught "Cleanliness is Godliness".
We are patriotic
As a school of mixed culture there is only theme that binds us all
together. That is India. We celebrate all Independence days and
Republic days with pride. We are taught about patriotism with great
effect. We love our country.
24. A few disadvantages too.
There is no religious education.
It is not such a bad thing. I am myself an atheist (or moreover a mind inclined
towards scientific reasoning). The seeds of this were sown in the school. I am not
telling anyone forcefully fed me the ideals of atheism at school. If you wanted to
visit a church or temple, the school allowed it under the supervision of a teacher.
But I never felt the need to do it. If I lived with my parents, they would have
forced me to attend the mass every Sunday. So if you really want your child to be
religious, you have a slight disadvantage here.
25. A few disadvantages too.
Navodayas are not talking part in state sports meet.
Navodaya Vidyalayas doesn’t directly participate in state level sports competition
as it has its own sports activities which are of cluster, regional and national levels.
But when some individual extraordinary talents are encountered JNVs just doesn’t
allows the talents to grow but also helps its students physically and financially.
But all together it is a nice experience and education which if possible you should
take up. 99% of the time it makes a person a self reliant, all round, well mannered
and disciplined citizen of the world.