Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Jharkhand

• 25 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs highlighted the progress of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Jharkhand during a written reply in Rajya Sabha. 

Key Points 

• As of June 2025, 51 EMRS are functional in Jharkhand with 7550 students enrolled for the 2024-25 academic year. 
• The Department of Expenditure approved the creation of 38,480 teaching and non-teaching posts across the country in January 2023 for EMRSs. 
• Jharkhand has been allocated a total of 91 EMRSs, 68 under the EMRS Scheme and 23 under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India. 
  • Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India guarantees grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of India each year for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes. 

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) 

• EMRS is a scheme for making model residential schools for Indian tribals (ST- Scheduled Tribes) across India. It started in the year 1997-98. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. 
  • These schools are being developed to provide free, quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students from Class VI to XII in remote and tribal-dominated areas focusing on academic as well as overall development. 
  • The EMR Schools generally follow the CBSE curriculum. 
• The scheme aims to build schools similar to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas, with a focus on state-of-the-art facilities for preserving local art and culture, as well as providing training in sports and skill development. The EMRS scheme was revamped in FY 2018-19. 
• During the 2023 Budget session of Parliament, the Finance Minister announced that the responsibility for recruiting staff in EMRS would be transferred to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS).  
  • NESTS has now been tasked with staffing 38,000 positions in over 400 Eklavya schools nationwide. 
  • The centralization of recruitment aimed to address the severe teacher shortage in the EMRS system and to standardize recruitment rules across states.   

Note: 

• National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) is an autonomous organization established under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).  
• Its objective is to conduct training and capacity-building programs for teachers and students of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).

Other Initiatives for Tribal Education: 

• Vocational Training Center in Tribal Areas 
• Pre Matric scholarship to eligible ST students  
• Post Matric scholarship to eligible ST students 
• National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribe Students 
• National Scholarship Scheme (Top Class) For Higher Education of ST Students: For pursuing studies at Degree and Post Graduate level in any of the Institutes identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs