Gujarat CMO: ASI Redevelops 1888 School for Modern Education
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Gujarat on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 shared details of a historic school, established in 1888, that has been redeveloped by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) into a modern educational institution aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of value-based and experiential learning.
Context
The CMO Gujarat post, written in Gujarati, states that the institution — founded in 1888 — has been punahviksit (redeveloped) by the ASI as a future-ready modern educational complex. The post describes it as 'not merely an educational building, but a medium for instilling leadership and values among students across India, in keeping with the Honourable Prime Minister's vision, where experiential learning with state-of-the-art facilities is imparted.'
The campus features a distinctive curriculum centred on nine daily life values, intended to connect students and teachers from every district of India on a single thread of cultural and educational exchange.
Policy Backdrop
The redevelopment reflects a broader Central government thrust to repurpose heritage structures for contemporary educational goals. The PM SHRI scheme, launched in 2022, aims to transform selected schools into model institutions emphasising experiential learning, holistic development, and modern infrastructure.
The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme, initiated in 2015, similarly promotes cultural and educational exchanges among students across Indian states and districts — a goal the nine-values curriculum at this institution appears to directly serve. ASI's involvement signals an effort to combine its heritage conservation mandate with national skilling and leadership priorities.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries are school students and teachers drawn from all districts of India, who gain access to a campus that blends heritage architecture with modern learning infrastructure. District education departments are expected to coordinate student and teacher participation in the exchange programmes the campus hosts.
By anchoring the curriculum in nine daily life values, the institution positions itself as a national integration platform — moving beyond conventional academics toward character and leadership formation.
What's Next
Further announcements on the rollout of the nine-values curriculum and the possible replication of ASI's redevelopment model at other 19th-century heritage institutions across India are anticipated. The Gujarat CMO's amplification of this initiative suggests the state government views the project as a flagship example of heritage conservation meeting modern education policy.