21 States and UTs to develop Eklavya Model Residential Schools for Tribal Students
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New Delhi, Feb 2: An MoU was signed between the Kerala State Eklavya Model Residential School Society (EMRSS) and the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) for effective management of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Kerala. Puneet Kumar, Principal Secretary, Scheduled Tribes Development Department, Government of Kerala and Asit Gopal, Commissioner, NESTS signed the MoU, in the presence of Dr. Naval Jit Kapoor, Joint Secretary (EMRS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, at the National capital.
Out of 28 States, where EMRSs are being established, the NESTS has executed MoUs with 21 State and UT Govts until now, including Government of Kerala. The signing of the MoU is the first step towards positioning of EMRSs as harbinger of tribal education in the remote tribal regions and it would bring all States on a uniform and mutually agreed platform.
The Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda said that with the overarching vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to usher all round development in tribal areas, the scheme of EMRSs was revamped in 2018-19 to improve the geographical outreach of the programme and introduce several qualitative changes to improve learning outcomes in the schools. By the year 2022, there is a target of establishing 740 EMRSs across the country covering every block with 50 per cent or more ST population and 20,000 or more tribal persons, benefiting around 3.5 lakh tribal students.
EMRSs are a flagship intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to provide quality education to tribal students in remote tribal areas. The programme is being implemented since 1998 and has created a niche in the tribal education landscape of the country. However, the scheme was revamped in 2018 to improve the geographical outreach of the programme and introduce several qualitative changes to improve learning outcomes in the schools. Currently there are 588 schools sanctioned across the country in 28 States and UTs, with around 73,391 students enrolled in the schools. Another 152 schools are to be sanctioned by the year 2022.