Kendriya Vidyalaya: 7 Perks of being a student

The Kendriya Vidyalayas are a group of central government schools in India that have functioned under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Instituted in 1963 under the name ‘Central Schools,’ which was later changed to ‘Kendriya Vidyalaya,’ they are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). All KVs are co-educational, offering bilingual instruction in English and Hindi. Sanskrit is taught as a compulsory subject from Grade 6 to 8 and is an optional subject until Grade 12. The Kendriya Vidyalayas were established in 1963 to offer quality education to the children of defense and paramilitary personnel, later expanded to include (but not restricted to) children of employees in central services with transferable jobs. Kendriya Vidyalaya is now one of the largest chains of schools in India, with over a thousand schools in the country and three branches overseas – one each in Tehran, Moscow, and Kathmandu.
The motto of KVS is ‘Jyanartha Pravesh, Sewavrtha Prasthan‘– meaning ‘Enter for Knowledge, Leave for Service.’

Some of the best things about studying at Kendriya Vidyalayas are:

1. Academic Results – KVs are some of the best CBSE government schools in the country – they reported a pass percentage of 99.47 % in the Class X Board Examinations and 98.54% in the Class XII Board Examinations in 2019.
2. Cost of Quality Education – Schooling at KVs costs much less than any private school that offers the same quality of education.
3. KVs promote scientific temper in students – the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (the autonomous organization under the HRD Ministry of Govt. of India that is responsible for the functioning of KVs) started the Jigyasa scheme in 2017 to encourage scientific curiosity and the spirit of research, in collaboration with the government-run Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. This scheme enables KV students to visit CSIR labs and get Exposure to cutting-edge research. Several KV schools also run Tinkering Labs to encourage technological innovation by young minds. Students are also encouraged to participate in technical and scientific exhibitions (such as the technical fests organized by IITs – IITB TechFest, among others, and science programs organized by IISc Bangalore) .and are provided labs and facilities to prepare for the same.
4. Excellent quality of teaching – Teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas write an exam to be employed as teachers at these prestigious institutions, and are some of the best teachers in the country. This means that students at KVs are taught by teachers who have a passion for teaching and are well-qualified to do so, and they do not need to attend extra tuition classes or to coach to understand concepts and perform well in exams. Additionally, the teacher to student ratio in KVs is 1:28, which is much better than several other government and private schools which have one teacher for every 35 to 70 students. 
5. Avenues for Extracurricular Activities – Being a KV student opens up a ton of opportunities for extracurricular activities. KV students participate in sports at the District, State, and National levels, as well as in SGFI (School Games Federation of India) events. There are also several opportunities to learn and compete in the fields of art, music, dance, and other cultural activities. 
6. Scope for participation in Academic Competitions – KV students are encouraged to participate in science Olympiads and other national competitions like NTSE (National Talent Search Examination), KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana Exam) and the Dr. Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik Competition, among others. 
7. Cultural Exposure – since KVs consists of students from various parts of the country who also travel due to their parents’ job postings, they expose a student to several different cultures in one class and promote a sense of institution, national integration, and brotherhood.