The Maharashtra government has sanctioned ₹18.45 crore to upgrade 76 model schools in the Marathwada region with smart classrooms, astronomy labs and tinkering labs. The School Education Department issued the government resolution (GR) on 30 October 2026 under the Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Adarsh School scheme, with the money coming from the 2026-27 state budget.
What the Marathwada model schools will get
The 76 schools, all run by local bodies, will be rebuilt around hands-on science and technology learning. According to the GR, the upgrade covers:
- Integrated classrooms built with pre-fabricated construction
- Smart classroom facilities for technology-based teaching
- Astronomy labs to bring practical space science into schools
- Tinkering labs where students can build, test and prototype ideas
Tinkering labs follow the same learning-by-doing idea as the Atal Tinkering Labs, which India is now taking abroad through the India-France ATL bridge for school innovation.
How the ₹18.45 crore will be spent
The State Project Director of the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad had sought the funds from the government. Of the total, ₹8.32 crore is for works that are already fully complete, and ₹10.13 crore is for the remaining works, which were revised after suggestions for changes at the schools.
The state has made clear that the money can be used only for the works listed in the order. The next test is on the ground: getting the classrooms and labs built and running on time.
Why these 76 schools were chosen
The scheme was announced as part of the Marathwada Mukti Sangram Amrit Mahotsav, which marks the region’s liberation struggle. Its aim is to improve schooling in the native villages of freedom fighters, with one local-body school picked in each such village. Following a cabinet decision, the School Education Department declared the 76 schools as model schools through a GR dated 14 October 2024. The new sanction now funds the facilities that status promised.
Why it matters for digital learning in government schools
States are racing to put technology into government classrooms. Bihar plans smart classrooms in 700 model schools and compulsory computer education from Class 6, while Uttar Pradesh has approved a smart school plan for 14,429 primary schools.
The gap is still wide. The latest UDISE+ 2025-26 data shows one in three Indian schools has no working computer. Within Maharashtra, private schools are moving faster, such as the Nagpur school that unveiled ‘Vedanti’, an AI teacher, and an AI-robotics lab. Labs for astronomy and tinkering give rural students in Marathwada a similar chance to learn science by doing it.
FAQ
How much has Maharashtra sanctioned for the Marathwada model schools?
₹18.45 crore: ₹8.32 crore for completed works and ₹10.13 crore for remaining works, from the 2026-27 budget.
Which scheme funds the 76 schools?
The Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Adarsh School scheme, announced under the Marathwada Mukti Sangram Amrit Mahotsav.
Source: Navbharat, 3 November 2026 and the Government of Maharashtra GR portal.
Featured image: A Zilla Parishad primary school in Jalgaon district, Maharashtra (representative image). Photo: ABHIJEET / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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