PROJECT ALANKAR: Amended rules promises to pave way to sprucing up govt-aided U.P. Sanskrit schools

PRAYAGRAJ Initiated by the state government, Project Alankar has introduced amended financial aid rules, heralding a much-anticipated makeover for government-aided secondary Sanskrit schools in Uttar Pradesh.

These revised regulations aim to rejuvenate institutions that have been serving the community for over 50 years.

Previously, the state government required school managements to cover 50% of the renovation costs for their aging buildings, with the government subsidizing the remainder. However, this condition led to reluctance among school management committees, resulting in ₹28 crore going unclaimed in the last fiscal year, according to officials from the state’s secondary education department.

In response to this, the Secondary Education Department modified the aid conditions, reducing the school managements’ financial commitment to just 5% of the renovation expenses. Simultaneously, they allocated a budget of ₹100 crore for renovation projects.

These revised rules have been met with enthusiasm from school management committees. The Directorate of Education in Prayagraj, UP, has already received proposals totaling ₹22 crore from various institutions across the state, eager to take advantage of the scheme to enhance and develop their school buildings.

The proposals, which amount to ₹22 crore, originate from government-aided Sanskrit schools in districts such as Basti, Muzaffarnagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkarnagar, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Balrampur, and Maharajganj. Officials confirm that these proposals are under review for approval and that additional submissions from various districts are forthcoming.

Out of the 958 government-aided Sanskrit schools offering education from classes 6 to 12 in the state, officials have been instructed to prioritize those institutions with more than 100 students.

One school administrator, Prof. MC Chattopadhyay, Manager of Shri Saudamini Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Prayagraj, expressed his relief, stating, “Earlier, due to the requirement of a 50% matching grant, which we couldn’t afford, we hadn’t submitted a proposal for our school’s renovation. But now, we have submitted a proposal under the new guidelines.”

Under Project Alankar, government-aided Sanskrit schools with student populations ranging from 100 to 250 may receive up to ₹25 lakh (if non-residential) or ₹50 lakh (if residential). The support increases to ₹50 lakh and ₹75 lakh, respectively, for schools with 250 to 500 students. For residential schools with over 500 students, maximum support of ₹75 lakh is available, provided they meet other criteria outlined in the project’s guidelines.