Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 2025-26

Fostering Green School Ecosystems: Progress based on UDISEPlus 2024-25 Data

Kitchen Gardens and Rainwater Harvesting  with Insights from Samagra Shiksha and SHVR 2025-26

Introduction

Sustainable school infrastructure is foundational to India’s educational vision, as articulated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasizing eco-friendly practices that nurture health, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. Kitchen gardens promote nutritional security through hands-on learning about agriculture and healthy eating, while rainwater harvesting (RWH) addresses water scarcity by conserving resources for non-potable uses like gardening and sanitation. The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) reports for 2023-24 and 2024-25 offer a longitudinal view of these facilities’ adoption across India’s 1.47 million schools, revealing incremental gains amid persistent disparities.

State-wise Schools with Water Harvesting and Kitchen Garden Facility in School: UDISEPlus 2024-25

This article analyses all-India trends over these two years, spotlights state-level exemplars and laggards, and integrates provisions under Samagra Shiksha – the flagship scheme for school education. It also connects these to the ongoing Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 2025-26, providing practical guidance for schools on RWH implementation, including benefits, norms, budgeting, and available incentives. With the SHVR submission deadline approaching on September 30, 2025, this resource equips school administrators, teachers, and nodal officers with actionable strategies to enhance sustainability ratings and operational resilience.

Review of UDISE+ Data: National Trends from 2023-24 to 2024-25


All-India Overview and Year-on-Year Analysis

UDISE+ data underscores steady, albeit modest, progress in equipping schools with kitchen gardens and functional RWH systems, reflecting targeted interventions under schemes like Samagra Shiksha and Mid-Day Meal (MDM). Total school numbers remained stable at approximately 1.47 million, with minor variations due to reporting refinements.

Facility Year Total Schools Schools with Facility Percentage (%) Change from Previous Year
Kitchen Gardens 2023-24 1,471,891 533,342 36.2 –
2024-25 1,471,473 592,198 40.2 +4.0 percentage points
Functional RWH 2023-24 1,471,891 418,030 28.4 –
2024-25 1,471,473 432,999 29.4 +1.0 percentage point

Management-Wise Breakdown (2024-25): Government schools lead in kitchen gardens (45.6% availability), benefiting from public funding, while government-aided schools excel in RWH (40%). Private unaided schools lag in both (25.5% for gardens, 34.9% for RWH), possibly due to urban space constraints, and “others” (e.g., madrasas) show the lowest adoption (15.9% and 14.4%, respectively).

The 4-point surge in kitchen gardens signals effective MDM integration, where gardens supplement school meals and teach biodiversity. RWH’s slower growth (1 point) highlights implementation hurdles like maintenance and awareness, yet it aligns with water-stressed priorities. Overall, these facilities now cover over 1 million students daily through enhanced school meals and water access, but scaling to 100% remains critical for NEP’s sustainability goals. Schools should audit their status via UDISE+ portals to benchmark progress.

State-Wise Highlights: Impressive Performers and Areas Needing Intensive Work

Regional variations persist, driven by climate, policy focus, and funding. Data from 2024-25 illustrates:

Impressive States for Kitchen Gardens:

  • Odisha (93.4%): Near-universal coverage, with 97.5% in government schools, via state-MDM synergies.
  • Lakshadweep (100%): Full adoption across managements, leveraging island ecology.
  • Himachal Pradesh (83.6%): 90.4% government coverage, promoted through hilly terrain-adapted models.

States Needing Intensive Work for Kitchen Gardens:

  • Madhya Pradesh (18.1%): Only 18.8% government schools equipped; prioritize land allocation.
  • Uttar Pradesh (22.3%): 28.8% government but 15.7% private; scale via district campaigns.
  • Bihar (20.8%): Uniformly low (20-26.7%); address soil and funding gaps.

Impressive States for RWH:

  • Tamil Nadu (94.5%): 93.1% government, enforced via state mandates.
  • Delhi (92.8%): 92.5% government, urban model for high-rises.
  • Andhra Pradesh (82.2%): 79.7% government, integrated with coastal conservation.

States Needing Intensive Work for RWH:

  • Tripura (3.8%): Minimal across boards; leverage northeast rainfall.
  • Assam (4.8%): 4.6% government; counter flood perceptions with education.
  • Arunachal Pradesh (5.8%): 2.5% government; adapt to terrain via Samagra grants.

These patterns suggest southern and union territory models (e.g., Puducherry at 24.6% for gardens but 43.3% for RWH) for replication. Lagging states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh could form inter-state learning networks.

Samagra Shiksha Provisions: Enabling Kitchen Gardens and RWH

Samagra Shiksha, an integrated scheme for pre-school to senior secondary education (extended to 2025-26), allocates funds holistically, aligning with NEP 2020. Key provisions include:

  • Kitchen Gardens: Under MDM’s flexi-fund for innovative interventions, schools receive up to ₹5,000 per garden for seeds, tools, and training. Non-recurring grants support setup, emphasizing nutrition-sensitive agriculture. In 2023-24, over ₹100 crore was disbursed nationwide, boosting adoption by 4 points.
  • RWH: Included in “Strengthening of Existing Schools” norms, with up to ₹20,000-₹50,000 per school for installation (part of ₹2.5 lakh composite grant). Focus on rooftop systems for recharge/storage, monitored via annual plans. Jal Shakti integration provides technical support.

Schools access these via district project approvals; apply through state Samagra portals with geo-tagged proposals. Monitoring via UDISE+ ensures accountability, with 10-15% funds ring-fenced for equity in aspirational districts.

Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 2025-26: Integrating Sustainability

SHVR 2025-26 mandates self-assessment of 60 indicators, including kitchen gardens (under operation/maintenance) and RWH (water availability/Mission LiFE). As of September 17, 2025, registrations are robust, but technical glitches persist – contact NCERT helpdesk. High ratings (5-star) yield national recognition and funding priority. Schools can upload garden yields or RWH recharge data for credits, tying into Samagra for dual benefits.

Practical Guidance for Schools: Implementing Rainwater Harvesting


Why RWH is Essential for Schools

RWH captures rooftop runoff, reducing dependency on municipal supplies (saving 20-30% on bills) and recharging groundwater to combat depletion in 70% of Indian districts. For schools, it ensures reliable water for toilets, gardens, and handwashing – cutting absenteeism by 10-15% in water-scarce areas. Educationally, it teaches conservation via student-led maintenance, fostering Mission LiFE behaviours. In arid zones like Rajasthan, it sustains mid-day meals; nationally, it could harvest 5,000 liters annually per school.

Basic Norms and Guidelines

  • Eligibility: Mandatory for buildings with >100 sqm roof area (per state bylaws); all UDISE+ schools encouraged.
  • Components: Rooftop gutters, first-flush diverters, filtration (sand/charcoal), storage tanks (5,000-20,000 liters), and recharge pits. Tanks must have light-excluding lids, manholes, and base-flushing pipes (IS 15797:2008).
  • Design: Yield = Roof area (sqm) × Rainfall (cm) × 0.8 (runoff coefficient). E.g., 500 sqm roof in 100 cm rain yields ~4,000 liters.
  • Maintenance: Annual desilting; integrate with eco-clubs.

Estimated Budget and Cost-Saving Tips

A basic school system (for 500-1,000 students) costs ₹20,000-₹1 lakh: ₹10,000 for gutters/filters, ₹30,000-₹50,000 for tanks, ₹10,000 for pits. Scale by size—small rural: ₹15,000; urban: ₹75,000. ROI in 2-3 years via bill savings; use MGNREGS labour for cost-sharing.

Government Schemes and Incentives

  • Jal Shakti Abhiyan/Catch the Rain: Free technical aid; 100+ schools equipped in Uttarakhand (2024).
  • MGNREGS: Funds structures (₹50,000/school); 20% works for water harvesting.
  • Samagra Shiksha: As above, plus 50% subsidy in low-adoption states.
  • State Initiatives: Goa WRD (free installs in 18 schools, 2023-25); Karnataka CSR tie-ups; Delhi subsidies up to 75%.
  • National: GWMR scheme offers audits; apply via jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/catch-the-rain.

Action Steps for Schools: Assess roof area via SHVR app; propose under Samagra by Q4 2025; partner with NGOs like Barefoot College for training. Track via geo-tags for SHVR credits.

Concluding Observations

From 36.2% to 40.2% for kitchen gardens and 28.4% to 29.4% for RWH, UDISE+ signals positive momentum, yet only one-third of schools are fully equipped – far from NEP’s vision. Exemplars like Odisha and Tamil Nadu demonstrate scalable models, while Bihar and Tripura require intensified Samagra funding and awareness drives. SHVR 2025-26, with its September 30 deadline, offers a timely nudge; schools leveraging RWH norms and incentives can achieve 5-star ratings, unlocking further grants. Prioritizing these facilities not only complies with mandates but builds resilient campuses, reducing costs and empowering students as water stewards. Policymakers should enhance monitoring and inter-state knowledge-sharing for equitable gains.

Suggested Readings

  1. Ministry of Education. (2024). UDISE+ Report 2023-24. Available at: education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/statistics-new/udise_report_nep_23_24.pdf.
  2. Ministry of Education. (2025). UDISE+ Report 2024-25. Available at: dashboard.udiseplus.gov.in/report-new-v.6-demo2025/static/media/UDISE%2B2024_25_Booklet_existing.118ba29d4773e6372f72.pdf.
  3. Samagra Shiksha. (2020). School Nutrition (Kitchen) Gardens Guidelines. Available at: samagra.education.gov.in/docs/SNG_Guidelines.pdf.
  4. Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2023). Catch the Rain Campaign Guidelines. Available at: jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/05/2023022034.pdf.
  5. Bureau of Indian Standards. (2008). IS 15797: Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines. Available at: icid.org/rfwaterharvesting_guidelines.pdf.

For more in-depth analysis on UDISE+ data, NEP 2020, and Samagra Shiksha, visit Education for All in India.