Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday, 27 August announced that a PM SHRI (Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India) school will be established in Malda district, West Bengal, with a formal notification expected within the next two to three weeks. The announcement came during the inauguration of a new building at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Aradhapur, in Old Malda Town.

What Was Inaugurated

The newly constructed building of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Aradhapur, Narayanpur, Old Malda — a school run primarily under Border Security Force (BSF) administration — was inaugurated at the event. The school was originally set up to serve children of BSF officers and jawans posted in the area. The Central Government later took over the institution, and it has functioned as a full-fledged Kendriya Vidyalaya for several years. Until recently, it operated out of a dilapidated structure; the Ministry of Education sanctioned the new building to replace it.

Majumdar noted that the infrastructure at the newly inaugurated building is among the best in Central Schools across the country.

PM SHRI School: What Majumdar Announced

Majumdar said that a notification to establish a Navodaya Vidyalaya (PM SHRI School) in Malda district will be issued within two to three weeks, after which construction will commence. He described the proposed school as a fully residential institution where students will be able to study at almost no cost.

He credited Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for signing the PM SHRI project and facilitating the land transfer, which he said had been the primary obstacle for years. According to Majumdar, the Centre had approved a Navodaya School for Malda district during a previous government's tenure, but the project stalled because the then state government was hesitant to provide land. The new state government completed the transfer, clearing the way for the project.

Broader Kendriya Vidyalaya Expansion

Speaking to media after the event, Majumdar said the current Union Budget commits to establishing more than 70 new Kendriya Vidyalayas across India, with work already underway. He added that more than 12,000 Kendriya Vidyalayas are currently operational nationwide, and these will progressively be upgraded to PM SHRI standards. State governments are also being allotted PM SHRI schools as part of this national rollout.

Who Was Present

The inauguration was attended by BJP Member of Parliament Khagen Murmu, BJP MLAs Gopal Chandra Saha and Chinmoy Deb Barman, District Magistrate Rajnabir Singh Kapoor, and several senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF).

The Malda PM SHRI school, once notified and built, will mark a significant expansion of centrally funded quality education infrastructure in a district that has long awaited such a facility.