Pune: Maharashtra Govt to Roll Out ‘Super 50’ and Sports Schools in Every District, Says Minister Dada Bhuse
Pune, 20th September 2025: School Education Minister Dada Bhuse on Friday announced that the state government will roll out a ‘Super 50’ school and a dedicated sports school in every district to boost opportunities for talented students from government-run schools.
The ‘Super 50’ model was first introduced in Nashik by then Zilla Parishad CEO Ashima Mittal, where students from municipal schools received intensive coaching for competitive exams such as NEET and IIT-JEE. Under the scheme, funding comes through the District Planning Committee, and students are chosen through an entrance exam conducted after Class X. The top 50 performers receive two years of free residential coaching.
Explaining the initiative, Bhuse said, “These children already have the talent, but their parents cannot afford the cost of professional coaching. Through this scheme, we cover their hostel stay, food, college education, and classes. With the right support, they have achieved remarkable results.”
Alongside this, the government also plans to replicate the model of ‘Kreeda Prabodhini’ or sports schools, currently running in Jalna and Kolhapur, across all districts. “We must have such schools everywhere to encourage young sporting talent,” Bhuse added.
The minister was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day Shikshan Parishad organised by the education department in Pune, attended by CEOs of several zilla parishads.
Focus on Improving Govt Schools
Bhuse acknowledged concerns over declining enrolment in government schools and urged the conference to deliberate on solutions. He highlighted Jalna district’s example of using Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds to build school compound walls as a model for others. He also flagged the need to improve the quality of PM Poshan (midday meal) in several areas.
On governance reforms, Bhuse said, “We have reduced the number of committees at the school level from 15 to 4. However, many schools have yet to implement this. A meeting will be held within a fortnight in the presence of the chief minister to review progress and collect data.”
Recognition for Best-Performing Districts
To motivate districts to innovate in education, the government has introduced performance-based rewards. Bhuse announced that the best-performing district will be given a grant of ₹5 crore, while the second and third positions will receive ₹3 crore and ₹2 crore, respectively.
“Several ZP CEOs and teachers are already doing commendable work in the education sector. This recognition will further encourage them,” the minister said.
