MESSAGE
FROM THE DESKOF COMMISSIONER
The great dream of visionaries such as former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi was reflected in the National Policty of Education 1986 and led to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
In 1985-86, the first 2 vidyalayas were established at Amravati, Maharashtra and at Jhajar, Haryana. At present, there are 593 vidyalays located all over the country.
This memorable event which took place almost 24 years ago, brought talented rural children to the forefront in Indias’ school system. Dedicated to bringing out the best of rural talent, Navodaya Vidyalays are today a massive network of schools with more than 2 lakh students on its rolls with around 21000 teaching and non-teaching staff.
Navodaya Vidyalays are based on the noble philosophy of excellence, coupled with equity. They seekto not only spread the light of education in rural areas, but to also accomplish their goal of providing educational opportunities to girl students and students from the SC and ST communities.
Girl students in NVS comprise 36% if the Navodaya Student population, whereas students belonging to the SC and ST communities comprise 41% of the students population of NVS as per the latest figures available with us.
Student welfare is an important pillar of Navodaya School System. Be a academics, culture, sports activities, student facilities, construction of buildings or teacher training all activities of this school system revolve around students.
Navodaya Vidyalays are symbols of the towering spirit of its founders’ dream. Young, vibrant, India truly exists in the hearts of Navodaya Students whose curiosity and search for knowledge and desire to understand is well known to every Navodaya Teacher.
Their intellectual curiosity apart, the gift of talent shines in sports & arts as well. Our students are creative writers, painters, sculptors, sports persons and are also excellent mathematicians and scientists. Navodaya students have a good understanding of time management, being reared in the residential culture and have the ability to achieve their rich potential – a fact testified by their Board Results which have top ranking positions in school systems, all over India.
24 years ago, Shri Rajiv Gandi, our farmer Prime Minister dreamt of giving opportunities to the rural children, for quality education, comparable to the best, available in the public schools of India.
Today, Navodaya is witness to all fulfillment of this dream.
Over the years, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti has evolved as an organization meeting the challengers it faced on the way, in providing for land, buildings and a safe & secure environment for its students. It has been able to provide good teachers and a stimulating academic environment. Its migration scheme aimed at national integration and cross culture exchange faced challenges in the earlier years, but solution have continued to flow in, to make this but all other schemes successful.
Education in Navodaya Vidyalaya took a new turn with the introduction of ICT and computer based education.
As we reach forwards the 25th year of its inception. We must have a new determination to strengthen our ongoing programmes. In arts & sports nurturing of talent through the establishment of special schools of Arts & Sports are proposed. It is felt that gifted children need not be schooled only in a formal classroom setting. We are, therefore thinking of the possibility of reaching out to such children through an online school, (along the lines of one established by StandardUniversity.) Along with this rather different effort is to be made and to open more vocational courses as employability lies in high growth sectors such as fashion, textiles, hospitability and tourism to name only a few such areas.
Climate literacy, in a world facing the complex and pressing issue of global warming and climate change, is a must for every student in our school system as these are future leaders of our country. We propose to hold climate literacy workshops in all JNVs to bring home this message.
These workshops will help students become aware about the major issues pertaining to climate change, global warming, environment, history of the earth etc.
We have not kept up the needed contact with our alumni, who are today working for civil society and national upliftment in varying capacities. We therefore, propose to hold a National Alumni Day.
There are a host of other issues we propose to take up such creation of more Regional Offices, filling up of vacancies, specially in the north east, converting JNVs into “green” schools where energy efficient products are used and improvement of mess & medical and housekeeping facilities.
I offer my best wishes to all in the Navodaya School System, the students and their families, the Principal, Vice-Principal, Teachers & staff, the officers of NVS Regional Offices and Headquarters. I am sure that your efforts to make this one of the best School System in India, will be rewarded and that Navodaya will always occupy an unparalleled place in the annals of School Education in India.