Gujarat has secured national recognition for 15 schools under the Centre's Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 2025-26 programme, with each selected institution set to receive a certificate and a grant of ₹1 lakh to sustain environmental and sustainability initiatives, government officials confirmed on Thursday, 18 June. The achievement places Gujarat among the top-performing states in a nationwide green campus drive tied to the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Districts That Made the Cut

The final list of 15 nationally certified schools spans several districts across the state. Rajkot leads with three schools, while Vadodara, Navsari, and Porbandar each contribute two. One school each from Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Valsad, and Mehsana rounds out the national list.

What the Programme Assesses

Launched by the Ministry of Education, the SHVR programme evaluates schools on parameters covering cleanliness, environmental sustainability, safety, and inclusivity. Specific criteria include access to water, sanitation facilities, handwashing with soap, operation and maintenance systems, behaviour change programmes, and capacity-building measures. Schools were also assessed on activities under Mission LiFE, including energy conservation, recycling, and the functioning of eco-clubs.

State Project Director J. Ranjit Kumar said the selected schools would receive special certificates from the Central government along with financial assistance to sustain green practices. 'The main objective of this programme is to provide schools with a clean, green, inclusive, safe and sustainable educational environment. Under NEP-2020, the assessment was carried out with the objective of bringing behavioural change, environmental sustainability and climate resilience among students and schools,' he said.

How the Selection Process Worked

More than 44,000 government, grant-in-aid, and private schools across Gujarat registered for the programme and completed self-assessments. The evaluation followed a multi-tier verification mechanism. At the district level, committees of nine members — chaired by the District Collector — reviewed applications. A state-level committee of 16 members, led by the State Project Director, then conducted detailed cross-verification.

From the initial pool, 262 schools were shortlisted at the district level. Twenty schools from Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Navsari, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat, Surendranagar, Vadodara, and Valsad districts advanced to the state level. Of those, 15 were ultimately chosen for national-level certification.

Political Acknowledgement and Broader Goals

Officials attributed the scale of participation to efforts undertaken under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Education Minister Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State for Education Rivaba Jadeja. The initiative is intended to encourage schools to adopt long-term sustainable practices while improving sanitation, environmental awareness, and climate resilience within educational institutions. With over 44,000 schools having participated, Gujarat's engagement with the programme is among the broadest in the country.