Eklavya Model Residential Schools | 11 Jul 2025
Several students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have cracked medical & engineering entrance exams.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
- About: EMRS is a flagship initiative launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in 1998 to provide free, quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students from Class VI to XII in remote and tribal-dominated areas.
- Objective: To bridge the educational gap between tribal and non-tribal populations by offering CBSE-based instruction integrated with holistic development, including sports, culture, and skill training.
- Revamp & Expansion: The scheme was revamped in 2018–19 to expand coverage. EMRSs are now to be established in blocks with more that 50% ST population and with at least 20,000 tribal persons with a target of 728 schools by 2026.
- Governance: EMRSs are implemented and managed by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous body under MoTA.
- Key Features:
- Co-educational, fully residential schools modeled on Navodaya Vidyalayas with a tribal focus.
- Follow the CBSE curriculum and provide free education along with all basic amenities.
- Infrastructure includes classrooms, labs, hostels, staff quarters, playgrounds, and cultural activity spaces.
- Each school has a capacity of 480 students with gender parity.
- Up to 10% seats may be allotted to non-ST students.
- 20% reservation under sports quota for meritorious ST students in athletics and games.
Other Initiatives for Tribal Education
- Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF)
- Vocational Training Centres
- National Overseas Scholarship Scheme
- Post-Matric Scholarships
| Read More: Recruitment Concerns in Eklavya Model |