Navodaya Vidyalayas are pace setting Co-educational residential schools established under the National Policy on Education 1986.  These vidyalayas aim at providing opportunities to the rural talented children to develop their potential and promote National Integration, one fourth of the admission is restricted for Urban and one third is reserved for girls and  3% seats are reserved for physically handicapped children.  The children of Kargil Martyrs are admitted without appearing in the entrance exam.

An autonomous organization known as Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti has been set to establish and run these vidyalayas for the purpose of administration.  JNV Satara was established in 1994 and had started it’s academic session with two sections of class VI from the 16th January 1995 in Zilla Parishad Hostel building in Godoli, Satara.  Since 19th August 2000 the Vidyalaya is running in a permanent building at Khavali in the Kshetra Mahuli area of Satara District.