Page 163 - EducationWorld Oct. 2022

Cover Story EW GOVERNMENT BOARDING SCHOOLS RANKINGS 2022 23

INDIA’S TOP GOVERNMENT BOARDING SCHOOLS

Consequent upon inclusion
of schools promoted by
defence services in the
Central government day
and boarding schools league
tables, JNVs, which had
hitherto dominated this
league table, have had to
cede rank

ince 2014, when Educ ation-
W orld editors took the de-
Scision to rank government
schools — routinely ignored by the
media and public — in the annual
EducationWorld India School Rank-
ings (EWISR) survey, the league table SAV-J girl students: emotional & psychological support factor. Inset: Dr. Rajiv Ranjan
of India’s best government boarding
schools has been dominated by the moted by the Bihar state government) lish-medium government residential
y
R
Central government-promoted Jawa- at #2 (#6 in 2021-22) and a s h tri a school,” SAV-J has been awarded top
har Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs). M il ita ry S c h ool , B e n g a l u ru at scores for academic reputation, cur-
Conceptualised in 1984 by the late #3 (14). The Haryana government- riculum and pedagogy and mental and
prime minister Rajiv Gandhi as free- promoted M otil a l N e h ru S c h ool emotional well-being services.
S
of-charge class VI-XII co-ed boarding of p orts , S on ip a t is ranked #4 (3) “Evidently your sample respon-
schools for meritorious rural children, and a k G rov e S c h ool , D e h ra du n dents are aware of the hard work our
O
the country’s 661 JNVs are arguably #5 (4). J N V , B a g a l u r, B e n g a l u ru teachers and students put in to main-
the greatest success story in public U rb a n — ranked #1 in 2021-22 — is tain learning continuity during the
education. Unfortunately there are #12 this year and J N V , C h e n n ith a - pandemic lockdown. During this un-
too few of them. India has 731 districts l a , A l a p p u z h a (Kerala) #7 (2). precedented crisis, the emotional and
but only 661 JNVs. Established a century ago as the psychological support our teachers
However this year, consequent “the first school promoted as a feeder also provided to students is behind our
upon inclusion of schools promoted school of military training colleges excellent academic results in the CBSE
by the defence services in the Central promoted by the defence services”, board exams this year. I am especially
government schools day and board- RIMC, Dehradun is awarded high- proud of our India #3 rank this year
ing schools league tables, JNVs have est score on the parameters of faculty as SAV-J is competing with Army and
had to cede considerable ground. The competence, co-curricular and sports Sainik boarding schools in the recon-
1,279 SEC (socio-economic category) education, leadership, and pastoral stituted league table,” says Ranjan, an
‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ sample respondents care. However, several email messag- alumnus of S.K.M. University, Dum-
interviewed by field personnel of the es and phone calls of your editors to ka, Jharkhand, who served in higher
Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting the RIMC commandant to convey the secondary education in Bhutan for 11
and Research have voted R a s h triy a good news in the school’s centenary years before he was appointed prin-
a
l
I n di n M i ita ry C ol l e g e , D e h ra - year, drew no response. cipal of SAV-J in 2011. Currently this
du n (RIMC-D, estb.1922) — ranked In sharp contrast, r. R a j i R a n - classes VI-XII school has an enrol-
v
D
m
S
A
y
India #10 in the boys residential j a n , principal of i u l ta l a w a s i a ment of 673 students mentored by 27
school category in 2021-22 — the V idy a l a y a , J a m u i (SAV-J), promot- teachers.
country’s #1 government boarding ed from #6 in 2021-22 to #3 this year, Beyond the Top 5, A rm y P u b l ic
school. was very forthcoming. Established in S c h ool ( A P S ) , D a g s h a i, inducted
RIMC-D is followed by Simultala 2010 by the Nitish Kumar-led JD(S) into the government boarding school
A w a s iy a V idy a l a y a , J a m u i (pro- government of Bihar as a “model Eng- category from the general day-cum-
164 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2022