Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs addresses reforms in Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) operations through the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS). Key reforms focus on standardisation, quality enhancement, infrastructure development, and increased financial support. As of July 31, 2025, 722 EMRSs have been sanctioned, with 485 operational. The per-student recurring grant has been increased to Rs. 1,47,062 from FY 2025-26.
Key Points / Main Content:
Policy-Level Reforms by NESTS:
* Standardised Infrastructure: Uniform design and construction guidelines for EMRS campuses.
* Model EMRS Guidelines: Comprehensive operational guidelines for governance, admissions, staffing, academics, and student welfare.
* Centralised Recruitment: Structured recruitment for teaching and non-teaching staff.
* Curriculum Alignment: CBSE curriculum integrated with region-specific learning and digital tools.
* Quality Assurance: Engagement of CBRI and IITs for quality control and retired technical consultants for monitoring.
* Capacity Building: Training for principals, teachers, and administrative staff.
* Student-Centric Welfare: Free education, boarding, and lodging, plus sports, activities, and career guidance.
* ICT Integration: Smart classrooms, digital libraries, and management information systems.
EMRS Expansion:
* Target: Establish EMRSs in every block with >50% Scheduled Tribe (ST) population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per Census 2011).
* Progress: 722 EMRSs sanctioned (as of 31.07.2025), with 485 functional.
* Benefits: Free, high-quality education, holistic development, and improved access to resources for tribal students.
Infrastructure Development:
* Construction Cost: ₹37.80 crore (plain areas) and ₹48 crore (hilly areas).
* New EMRS Buildings Completed: Numbers provided for 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25, broken down by state.
Financial Allocations:
* Per-Student Allocation: Increased to ₹1,47,062 per annum from FY 2025-26.
* Overall Budget: ₹7088.60 Crore for F.Y. 2025-26.
* Impact: Strengthened capacity for high-quality education, improved infrastructure, staffing, and student wellbeing.
Impact Analysis:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs / NESTS:
Impact: Responsible for implementing and overseeing the reforms and expansion of EMRSs.
Action Required: Ensure effective coordination with State EMRS Societies, monitor quality, and manage financial resources.
State Governments / State EMRS Societies:
Impact: Responsible for the operational management of EMRSs within their respective states.
Action Required: Implement the standardised guidelines, facilitate recruitment, and ensure effective delivery of education and welfare services.
Tribal Students and Communities:
Impact: Direct beneficiaries of improved educational infrastructure, resources, and quality of education.
Action Required: Engage with EMRSs, participate in educational opportunities, and leverage available resources for holistic development.
EMRS Staff (Principals, Teachers, Administrative Staff):
Impact: Subject to new recruitment frameworks, training programs, and operational guidelines.
Action Required: Participate in training, adapt to new guidelines, and ensure high-quality teaching and school management.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for the welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes.
National Education Society for Tribal Students NESTS: An autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs established to manage and implement the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) scheme.
Eklavya Model Residential School EMRS: A type of school in India for tribal students, aimed at providing quality education and holistic development.
Central Building Research Institute CBRI: An agency involved in quality assurance for the construction of EMRSs.
Union Budget 201819: The annual financial statement of the Government of India for the fiscal year 2018-2019, which included announcements regarding the expansion of EMRS.
Scheduled Tribe ST: A specific group of indigenous people recognized by the Indian government as historically disadvantaged.
Maharashtra: A state in India with significant tribal populations where the impact and progress of EMRS are specifically analyzed.
Jalgaon, Maharashtra: A tribal-dominated district in Maharashtra, India, specifically mentioned as a focus area for EMRS development and impact assessment.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4656
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21/08/2025
REFORMS IN EMRS OPERATIONS
4656. SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:
SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:
Will the Minister of Tribal Affairs be pleased to state:
(a) the key policy-level reforms introduced since the formation of the National Education Society
for Tribal Students (NESTS) to ensure standardisation and quality across all Eklavya Model
Residential School (EMRS) operations;
(b) the impact of transitioning EMRSs to a Central Sector Scheme on their governance structure,
funding mechanisms and overall management, State-wise, especially in tribal-dominated districts
of Maharashtra including Jalgaon;
(c) the progress made in expanding the EMRS network to cover all eligible tribal blocks and the
direct benefits of this expansion for local tribal communities;
(d) the latest data on infrastructure development in EMRS including the number of new schools
constructed, upgraded and equipped with modern facilities during the last three years, year and
State-wise including Maharashtra; and
(e) the details of the financial allocation/support per-student and the overall budget allocation for
EMRSs along with the manner in which these changes have impacted the quality of education,
student well-being, learning outcomes, student retention and holistic development, year and State-
wise, particularly in tribal-dominated districts of Maharashtra including Jalgaon?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)
(a) and (b): National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous
organization under Ministry of Tribal Affairs , has been established to manage and implement
the scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in co-ordination with State EMRS
Societies. NESTS have been undertaken several policy-level reforms to ensure standardisation
and quality across all Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). Key reforms include:
1. Standardised Infrastructure Norms – Development and implementation of uniform
design and construction guidelines for EMRS campuses, hostels, and ancillary facilities to
ensure parity in quality and amenities across States/UTs.
2. Model EMRS Guidelines – Issuance of comprehensive operational guidelines covering
school governance, admission procedures, staffing norms, academic planning, and student
welfare measures.
3. Centralised Recruitment Framework – Introduction of a structured recruitment process
for teaching and non-teaching staff to ensure merit-based, transparent selection and
uniform service conditions.
4. Curriculum and Pedagogy Alignment – Integration of CBSE-affiliated curriculum with
region-specific contextual learning, along with adoption of digital learning tools and
remedial education mechanisms.
5. Quality Assurance and Monitoring –Engagement of Central Building Research Institute
(CBRI) and IITs as Third-party quality assurance agency for quality control andengagement of retired technical consultants for monitoring and supervision of construction
of EMRSs.
6. Capacity Building Programmes – Regular training and professional development
initiatives for principals, teachers, and administrative staff to maintain high teaching
standards and effective school management.
7. Student-Centric Welfare Policies – Implementation of policies ensuring 100% free
education, boarding, and lodging, as well as provisions for sports, co-curricular activities,
and career guidance.
8. ICT Integration – Rollout of smart classrooms, digital content libraries, and management
information systems (MIS) for academic, administrative, and financial tracking.
These reforms collectively aim to deliver a standardised, high-quality educational environment
across all EMRSs, while addressing the specific needs of tribal students.
(c) In the Union Budget 2018–19, the Government of India announced that, to provide quality
education to tribal children in their own environment, Eklavya Model Residential Schools
(EMRSs) would be established in every block with more than 50% Scheduled Tribe (ST)
population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per Census 2011). In addition to the 288 EMRSs
sanctioned under Article 275(1), a further 440 EMRSs were proposed across the country, bringing
the total to 728 EMRSs to be established nationwide. As of 31.07.2025, a total of 722 EMRSs
have been sanctioned, of which 485 have been made functional.
The expansion of EMRSs directly benefits local tribal communities by providing free, high-
quality, CBSE-affiliated education to children within or near their own environment. With well-
equipped hostels, classrooms, laboratories, and sports facilities, EMRSs ensure holistic
development, including academic, physical, and extracurricular growth of tribal students. In
addition, students receive free boarding, nutritious meals, healthcare, and career guidance,
contributing to their overall well-being and readiness for higher education and competitive careers.
Collectively, these measures enhance educational attainment, promote social inclusion, and
empower tribal communities economically and socially.
State-wise sanctioned and operational status of EMRSs, including Maharashtra, as on 31.07.2025,
is as under:-
Sl. No State / UT EMRS Sanctioned EMRS Functional
1 Andhra Pradesh 28 28
2 Arunachal Pradesh 10 5
3 Assam 17 1
4 Bihar 3 2
5 Chhattisgarh 75 75
6 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 1 1
7 Gujarat 47 44
8 Himachal Pradesh 4 4
9 Jammu & Kashmir 6 6
10 Jharkhand 90 51
11 Karnataka 12 12
12 Kerala 4 4
13 Ladakh 3 0
14 Madhya Pradesh 71 63
15 Maharashtra 39 37
16 Manipur 21 517 Meghalaya 37 0
18 Mizoram 17 11
19 Nagaland 22 3
20 Odisha 111 47
21 Rajasthan 31 30
22 Sikkim 4 4
23 Tamil Nadu 8 8
24 Telangana 23 23
25 Tripura 21 6
26 Uttar Pradesh 4 3
27 Uttarakhand 4 4
28 West Bengal 9 8
Total 722 485
(d) The construction cost of EMRSs is ₹37.80 crore in plain areas and ₹48 crore in hilly areas.
The status of new EMRS building constructed in last three year including Maharashtra is as under:-
S.No. Name of State New EMRS Building Completed
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
1 Andhra Pradesh 5 6 3
2 Arunachal Pradesh 3 2 0
3 Assam 0 1 5
4 Bihar 0 0 1
5 Chhattisgarh 1 0 6
6 Gujarat 2 2 0
7 Himachal Pradesh 0 0 0
8 Jammu & Kashmir 0 0 0
9 Jharkhand 8 8 20
10 Karnataka 0 0 0
11 Kerala 0 0 0
12 Madhya Pradesh 1 10 2
13 Maharashtra 2 0 5
14 Manipur 1 0 1
15 Meghalaya 1 0 0
16 Mizoram 0 0 3
17 Odisha 1 10 13
18 Rajasthan 7 1 5
19 Sikkim 0 0 0
20 Tamil Nadu 5 0 0
21 Telangana 4 1 3
22 Tripura 0 2 2
23 Uttar Pradesh 2 0 0
24 Uttarakhand 1 0 0
25 West Bengal 0 0 0
Total 44 43 69(e) The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) released a recurring grant of
₹1,09,000 per student per annum till FY 2024-25 which has subsequently been revised to Rs.
1,47,062/- from FY 2025-26, towards the operational and maintenance expenses of Eklavya
Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). Overall Budget Estimate for F.Y. 2025-26 is Rs. 7088.60
Crore.
The enhanced financial support, coupled with standardised operational frameworks introduced
by NESTS, has significantly strengthened the capacity of EMRSs to deliver high-quality,
inclusive, and holistic education to Scheduled Tribe students. The increased per-student
allocations and targeted capital investments have enabled improvements in infrastructure,
staffing, academic resources, health and welfare facilities, and co-curricular programming. These
measures have directly contributed to better learning environments, improved student well-being,
and strengthened retention, particularly in remote and tribal-dominated districts.
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