The National Policy on Education-1986 envisaged setting up of residential schools, to be called Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas that would bring out the best of rural talent.It was felt that children with special talent or aptitude should be provided opportunities to progress at a faster pace by making good quality education available to them irrespective of their capacity to pay for it. Such education would enable students from rural areas to compete with their urban counterparts on an equal footing.The Navodaya Vidyalaya System which began as a unique experiment, is today unparalleled in the annals of school education in India and elsewhere. Its significance lies in the selection of talented rural children as the target group and the attempt to provide them quality education comparable to the best in a residential school system.

Navodaya Vidyalayas are affiliated to CBSE and offer free education to talented children from Class-VI to XII. Entry to Navodaya Vidyalaya is made in Class-VI with lateral entry in Classes- IX & XI.  Each  Navodaya Vidyalaya is a co-educational  residential institution providing free  boarding and lodging, free school uniforms, text books, stationery, and to and fro rail and bus fare to students.