New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS): Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday announced the approval of an increase of 5,000 seats in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) for the 2019-20 Academic Year.

At present, the number of seats in JNVs and residential schools for talented rural children, are 46,600. The addition of 5,000 seats will mean that 51,000 seats will be available from 2019-20, the government said in a statement.

In the last four years there was an addition of 9,000 seats. In the next four years, the government is likely to add 32,000 more seats, it said.

"This is a step in the right direction. This is the biggest-ever expansion of quality education for rural students. This unprecedented expansion of JNVs, nearly free of cost residential schools, will provide more opportunity for talented children from rural areas to get quality education," Javadekar said.

Navodaya is the only education system in the country where students give entrance examination for admission into Class 6.

In 2001, 5.50 lakh aspirants appeared for the exam.

Over the years, the number of aspirants appearing for the exam has increased considerably. For the 2019 entrance test, 31.10 lakh students have registered.