Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan 2.0

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is the central government's overarching school education programme that integrates three earlier schemes — Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education — into a single unified scheme from pre-school (3 years) to Class 12. The scheme treats school education as a continuum and funds state governments to improve enrolment, retention, learning outcomes, and equity across all school stages.

For students and parents, Samagra Shiksha's most visible benefits are: free textbooks for Classes 1–8, free uniforms for Classes 1–8 girls and SC/ST boys, ₹3,000 per year disability support for children with special needs in inclusive education, digital education infrastructure (smart classrooms, DIKSHA portal), residential schools for tribal and migrant children, and National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) for deserving students.

The NMMS scholarship under Samagra Shiksha is particularly important — it provides ₹12,000 per year to selected meritorious students from lower-income families studying in Classes 9–12 in government schools. Selection is through a state-level examination. Applications are submitted through the school principal. Our editorial team reviewed scheme components and student benefits against the MHRD (now MoE) official Samagra Shiksha portal, July 2026.