• National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under the ministry of tribal affairs, has launched the second phase of the ‘Amazon Future Engineer Programme’ in 54 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).

• The pilot phase, launched in collaboration with Amazon India and Learning Links Foundation (LLF) last year, trained over 7,000 students from Classes 6 to 8 on the fundamentals of computer science and block programming modules. 

• The initiative is a big step towards ensuring that the students become well-equipped to leverage digital opportunities.

• The revised module will introduce a customised coding and Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum that is aligned with CBSE skill education. This will be in addition to the current courses in coding, logical sequencing, learning loops, and block programming. The 20-hour module is constructed taking into account the current exposure of tribal students to computer science and coding.

National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS)

• The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) is an autonomous organisation under the ministry of tribal affairs.

• It has been registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 at New Delhi on April 1, 2019 to establish, endow, maintain, control and manage Eklavya Model Residential Schools and to do all acts and things necessary for or conducive to the promotion of such schools. 

• The NESTS is headed by commissioner, who is of the rank of joint secretary to government of India. 

• Its office is located in New Delhi.

Objectives of NESTS are to:

i) Provide quality upper primary, secondary and senior secondary level education to ST and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) students in tribal dominated areas along with extra-curricular activities for their all-round development.

ii) Manage annual running expenses for support in infrastructure development, provision of facilities, hiring of human resource and information dissemination for efficient management of EMRS and their expansion.

iii) Offer a common core-curriculum of ensuring comparability in standards and to facilitate and understanding of the common and composite heritage of tribal people.

iv) Progressively bring students from one part of the country to another in each school to promote national integration and enrich the social content.

v) Serve as a focal point for improvement in quality of school education through training of teachers in live situations and sharing of experience and facilities.

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. 

• 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.

• 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.

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