ADMISSION TO JNVs
In accordance with the National Policy of Education (1986), Government of India started Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs). Presently, the JNVs are spread in 27 States and 7 Union Territories. These are co-educational residential schools fully financed and administered by Government of India through an autonomous organisation, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti. Admission in JNVs are made through the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST) at Class VI. The medium of instruction in JNVs is the mother tongue or regional language up to class VIII and English thereafter for Maths,Science and Social Science. Students of the JNVs appear for X and XII Class examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education. While education in the schools is free including boarding, lodging, uniforms and textbooks, a nominal fee of Rs. 200/- per month is collected from the children from IX to XII Class. However, children belonging to SC/ST, Girls, Physically Handicapped and from the families whose income is below poverty line are exempted from payment of fees
Admission Procedure
Admissions to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas take place on the basis of a selection test designed and conducted by the CBSE in the Month of February every year. The test, called the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST) is of nonverbal nature, class neutral and so designed as to ensure that talented children from the rural areas of Kottayam district are able to compete without facing any disadvantages and also to ensure that children from far flung rural areas get admission forms free of cost without any problem. Sufficient publicity is given through Doordarshan, All India Radio, local newspapers, pamphlets, visits of Principal and teachers of Navodaya Vidyalaya to the local schools , Municipal Councils and Grama Panchayats of the Kottayam district. As a result rural areas are becoming aware of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme.
Eligibility Conditions
To appear at the Selection Test, a candidate has to fulfil the following eligibility conditions:
A candidate appearing for the Selection Test must be studying in Class V in a Government / Government-Aided or other recognized school or schools under Schemes of "Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan"; or 'B' certificate competency course of National Institute of Open Schooling in the same district where he/she is seeking admission in the just preceding academic session for which Selection Test is conducted. Actual admission in Class VI in the session is, however, subject to the condition of having passed Class V before admission.
A candidate seeking admission must be between the age group 9-13 years on 1st May of the year of admission for which the Selection Test is conducted. This applies to all categories of candidates including those who belong to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
A candidate claiming admission from rural quota must have studied and passed class III, IV & V from Government / Government Aided / recognized schools located in Rural areas in the preceding three continuous academic sessions for which the Selection Test is conducted spending one full academic session in each class without any repetition of class, gap and/or break in.
A candidate who is not promoted to Class V before November of the preceding academic year for which. the test is conducted is not eligible to apply.
No candidate is allowed to appear in the selection test, for the second time under any circumstances.
The above conditions are applicable to all the candidates irrespective of their caste or gender.
Reservation
At least 75% of the seats in the district are filled by candidates selected from rural areas and remaining seats are filled from the urban areas of the district. A candidate who has studied in a school located in an urban area, even for a part of session in any of the classes III, IV, and V or passes any one or more of these classes from such a school as above is considered as an urban candidate. Urban areas are those which are so defined in the 1991 census or in subsequent Government notification. All other areas are considered rural.
Reservation of seats in favour of children belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is provided in proportion to their population in the concerned district provided that in no district, such reservation will be less than the national average (15% for SC and 7.5% for ST ) but subject to maximum of 50% for both the categories ( SC & ST ) taken together. These reservations are interchangeable and over and above the candidates selected under open merit. Efforts are made to ensure that one-third of the total seats are filled up by girls.