Every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) by the year 2022. Addressing media persons here today, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram said that consequent upon Budget announcement for 2018-19, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in its meeting held on 17th December, 2018, has decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Eklavya Model Residential School. Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development. Across the country, as per census 2011 figures, there are 564 sub-districts i.e. blocks/taluka/tehsil having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons. Out of these sub-districts, at present 102 sub-districts have EMRSs.
The Minister said that the proposed scale up of the initiative through enhanced recurring and non-recurring cost is a path breaking initiative. This will immensely help in reducing gaps in literacy between ST population vis-à-vis overall population. The focus is on academic excellence through this upscaled initiative and will lead to holistic development of tribal children.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (M/oTA) was set up in 1999, with the objective of providing more focused approach on the integrated socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs), the most underprivileged of the Indian Society, in a coordinated and planned manner. M/oTA is the nodal Ministry for overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for development of STs. One of the important educational intervention by Ministry of Tribal Affairs is establishing Eklavya Model Residential Schools with the objective of enhancing access to quality education and to maximize retention of ST students within various stages of school education and promoting higher learning among them. EMRS is an excellent approach for imparting quality education to ST children. 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. A total of 284 EMRSs have been sanctioned as on date, out of which 219 have been reported functional, with about 65,231 students enrolled therein. The existing non-recurring cost is Rs.12.00 Crores (16.00 Crores for North East, hilly, deserts and islands). The recurring cost is Rs.61500/- from 2018-19.
