Parliament Question: Educational attainment among tribal students in Odisha

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO - 131 ANSWERED ON – 11/02/2026 Educational attainment among tribal students in Odisha 131 Shri Niranjan Bishi:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has reviewed the status of educational attainment among tribal students in Odisha;

(b) if so, the key gaps identified at secondary and higher education levels; and

(c) the steps taken to address these gaps? ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 131 ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026 ASKED BY SHRI NIRANJAN BISHI, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING “EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AMONG TRIBAL STUDENTS IN ODISHA”

(a) to (c): Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of the schools come under the purview of the respective State and UT Government. Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, State Government is supported based on annual plans prepared by the State based on their requirements and priority. Major objectives of the scheme include provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students and bridging social and gender Gaps on the principles of equity and access for all.

For providing better access for tribal students, under Samagra Shiksha scheme, 333 KGBVs are currently functioning in the State of Odisha, where 21,709 tribal girls from upper primary to higher secondary levels are getting access to quality education. Under the PM JANMAN scheme, 76 hostels have been approved in Odisha. Under the DAJGUA scheme 40 hostels have been approved for Odisha. The initiatives are intended to strengthen residential infrastructure for vulnerable students, reduced barriers to education, and create an enabling learning environment for children from remote and disadvantaged tribal communities.

Besides, Government of India has sanctioned construction of 16 new secondary schools under Samagra Shiksha in the last 3 years. 8 new Kendriya Vidyalayas have been constructed in the last 3 years in the state of Odisha. Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 111 EMRS schools in Odisha to provide quality education at par with Navodaya Vidyalaya to the tribal children in their own environment, located in tribal dominant blocks. Under PMSHRI Scheme, 762 schools have been approved for Odisha to showcase all components of NEP 2020 and be exemplar schools for the other schools in the area.

For Mother tongue based education, Primers in 15 tribal languages have been developed for primary grades for classroom transaction by NCERT.

As informed by the State Govt. of Odisha, the State has reviewed and monitored the status of educational attainment among tribal students, particularly as part of broader assessments of tribal education outcomes, challenges, and programme implementation. The state has launched special schemes such as the Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana to address educational challenges faced by tribal students, including dropout and low achievement at higher grades. The scheme provides financial incentives to tribal students to encourage the continuation of education beyond Class 9 and Class 11. The scheme of Gangadhar Meher Shiksha Manakbrudhi Yojana (Free Bicycle to Class 9 Students) aims to encourage students from disadvantaged groups to pursue secondary education. It is intended to increase retention rates, reduce dropout rates, and ensure a smoother transition from elementary to secondary education for students entering Class 9, with special emphasis on girl students and students belonging to disadvantaged groups, including tribal communities.

In order to acquaint the tribal students in their mother tongue in primary level the Mother Tongue based Multilingual Education Programme (MTBMLE) is operational since 2006-07 in the State. MTBMLE programme is operational in tribal dominated areas of 17 districts. Presently, 89942 ST children are studying in 1317 MLE schools in 17 Districts of the State. Tribal Resource Centre (TRC) have been established in MLE Districts to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Tribal Communities. Apart from this, free uniform, textbook, PM Poshan, transport & escort allowance, aids & appliance to CWSN children etc. have been provided to the tribal students, Under Samagra Shiksha scheme.

The GER for Higher Secondary Students in tribal areas has improved from 55.3% in 2023-24 to 61.9% in 2024-25 as per UDISE+ as compared to the overall rate of 60.7% and the national rate of 58.4% in 2024-25.

PARAKH Rasitriya Sarvekshan (PRS) conducted in December, 2024 reflects that the performance of Odisha is better than the national average in all categories in grade 3, 6 and 9. The performance of ST students of Odisha in grade 3, 6 and 9 is either higher or at par with National average. The report of PRS 2024 is available at https://parakh.ncert.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-07/REPORT_India_IND.pdf *****