In the next three years, the government will recruit 38,800 teachers and support staff for the 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), serving 3.5 lakh tribal students, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Budget Speech.

A total number of 740 EMRSs are scheduled to be established across the country by the year 2025-26, out of which 690 schools have already been sanctioned and 401 EMRSs are reported to be functional.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools for ST students are set up in states/UTs with provisioning of funds through grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.

• The scheme of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) was introduced in the year 1997-98 to provide quality upper primary, secondary and senior secondary level education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) students in remote tribal areas. 

• In the Union Budget of 2018-19, the government announced that to provide quality education to the tribal children in their own environment, Eklavya Model Residential School will be established in every block having more than 50 per cent ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011). 

• These EMRSs would be at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas with special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development. 

• As per the norms 60 students per class divided into two sections with 30 students each from class VI to Class X and 90 students per class in three sections with 30 students each in the streams of science, commerce and humanities in Class XI and XII are to be admitted.

• Apart from school building including hostels and staff quarters, provision for a playground, students’ computer lab, teacher resource room, etc are also included in the EMRSs.

• The ministry of tribal affairs, in coordination with National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organisation to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS, is continuously coordinating and following up with the state governments to get suitable land free from all encumbrances, including forest clearance. 

• States have been advised to run schools in alternative buildings preferably in government buildings till the construction of schools is completed.

• During the financial year 2022-23, the ministry has released an amount of Rs 1,465.27 crore to NESTS for implementation of the scheme of EMRS.

• Recurring cost of Rs 1,09,000 per student per year is given to schools towards running and managing the school.

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