Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya / Rajiv Gandhi Abhinav Vidyalaya (Residential)

What is the Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya scheme?

Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya (RGNV), also run alongside the Rajiv Gandhi Abhinav Vidyalaya (RGAV) initiative, is a free residential school scheme of the School Education Department, Government of Uttarakhand. According to the Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE), the scheme operates 8 CBSE-affiliated, co-educational residential schools that teach Classes 6 to 12 to talented children who mostly come from rural and economically weaker families.

The core idea is simple: a bright child from a village should not miss out on a good English-medium, CBSE-standard education because the family cannot afford school fees, hostel costs, books or uniforms. Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya removes all of that cost. Selected students receive free food, free uniforms, free textbooks and stationery, and free hostel accommodation for the full six years from Class 6 to Class 12.

The scheme is often described locally as the "Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Yojana", and the two names Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya and Rajiv Gandhi Abhinav Vidyalaya are used together for the residential-school network the state runs on the Navodaya model.

Where are the Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalayas located?

There are 8 Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalayas spread across Uttarakhand, giving districts in both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions access to a residential school. The eight schools are located in:

• Dehradun
• Haridwar
• Tehri
• Pauri Garhwal
• Nainital
• Almora
• Champawat
• Pithoragarh

Each school functions as a full residential campus with separate hostel accommodation for boys and girls, science laboratories, a library and computer facilities. Approximately 630 seats are available across all eight schools each year, with each participating district typically getting around 60 Class 6 seats.

Who is eligible for Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya admission?

A child can apply if:

• The child is currently studying in Class 5 in a government-recognised school, or has passed Class 5.
• The child is 9 to 13 years old on the prescribed cut-off date for Class 6 admission.
• The child has studied Classes 3, 4 and 5 in consecutive years.
• The child is a resident of Uttarakhand; for rural-quota seats, the child must be from a rural area.

A child cannot apply if:

• The child is outside the 9 to 13 age band for Class 6 entry.
• The child is not studying in Class 5 in a recognised school in the qualifying year.
• The family is seeking direct admission into Class 7 or above; there is no lateral entry, admission is only at Class 6.

Reservation follows the scheme's rural-focused design. About 80 percent of seats are reserved for rural students and 50 percent of all seats are reserved for girls, along with reservation for SC, ST and OBC candidates as per state norms.

What documents are required for Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya?

How to apply for Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya

1. Watch for the entrance-test notification issued by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education, usually released between December and February for admission the following academic session.
2. Collect the application form from the notified centre, the district education office, or as directed in the notification, and fill in the child's details, class, date of birth and category.
3. Attach the documents; Class 5 study certificate, age proof, residence proof, caste certificate if applicable, and photographs.
4. Submit the form to the designated school or education office before the last date given in the notification and collect the admit card.
5. Appear for the RGNV entrance test. The two-hour paper has 100 multiple-choice questions to 50 on Mental Ability, 25 on Mathematics and 25 on Hindi — with no negative marking.
6. Check the merit list published by UBSE. Selected children complete admission formalities and medical verification at the allotted school.

Because the process is run through the state board and district education offices, apply through your child's current school or the district education office rather than any private agent.

What benefits does a selected student receive?

A child selected for a Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya receives, free of cost:

• Residential accommodation in the school hostel for the full Class 6 to 12 period.
• Free food in the school mess.
• Free uniforms, textbooks and stationery.
• CBSE-pattern education with access to science labs, a library and computer facilities.

There is no tuition fee and no hostel fee. The scheme is aimed at ensuring that a family's financial position is not a barrier to a talented rural child completing schooling up to Class 12.

How is the entrance test structured?

The RGNV entrance test is a two-hour, 100-question objective paper conducted annually by UBSE, typically in February. The three sections are Mental Ability (50 questions), Mathematics (25 questions) and Hindi (25 questions). There is no negative marking, so a child should attempt every question. The test is designed to identify aptitude rather than rote learning, which is why Mental Ability carries the largest weight.

Common reasons an application is rejected

• Age outside the 9 to 13 band for Class 6 on the cut-off date.
• Not studying in Class 5 in the qualifying year, or gaps in Classes 3, 4 and 5.
• Incomplete documents, especially missing residence proof for a rural-quota claim.
• Applying for a higher class, only Class 6 entry is allowed.

Most rejections come from age or the study-certificate condition, so verify the child's date of birth against the notification's cut-off before applying.

What life is like at a Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya

A Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya is a full residential campus, so a selected child lives at the school through the term. Each campus has separate hostel accommodation for boys and girls, a mess that provides free food, science laboratories, a library and computer facilities. Teaching follows the CBSE pattern, and the aim is to give a rural child the same quality of English-medium, exam-oriented schooling that is usually available only in cities or private schools. Because roughly 630 seats are shared across the 8 schools, competition at the Class 6 entrance test is real, and the Mental Ability section, the largest at 50 of 100 questions; is where most of the selection is decided.

How to check the RGNV result

1. Wait for the merit list to be published by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education after the entrance test, usually a few weeks after the exam.
2. Check the result through the UBSE portal or at the district education office and the schools, as notified.
3. If your child is selected, report to the allotted school for admission and medical verification within the time given.
4. Keep the admit card and original documents ready, as admission is confirmed only after document and medical checks.

Is the Rajiv Gandhi Abhinav Vidyalaya the same thing?

The names Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya (RGNV) and Rajiv Gandhi Abhinav Vidyalaya (RGAV) are used together for the state's residential-school network built on the Navodaya model. For a parent, the practical point is the same: these are free, residential, CBSE-affiliated schools for Classes 6 to 12, entered at Class 6 through the annual UBSE entrance test, with strong reservation for rural children and girls. If you see either name, you are looking at the same residential-schooling opportunity.

Where to get help

For dates, forms and the merit list, contact the Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE), which conducts the entrance test, or your District Education Office. The individual Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya campus in your district can also confirm admission and hostel formalities once a child is selected. Notifications and the Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Yojana documents are published on the UBSE portal.