Executive Summary:
This document presents the Ministry of Tribal Affairs' response to questions regarding the status of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram Schools. It details the operational status, funding, scholarship distribution in Telangana, and measures to address challenges like teacher shortages and dropout rates. The data provided covers the period from 2020 to 2025, with some figures updated as of August 11, 2025, and August 14, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
EMRS Overview:
* EMRS aims to provide quality education to tribal children, targeting blocks with over 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per Census 2011).
* As of June 2025, 479 out of 728 approved EMRSs are functional across India.
* Telangana has 23 functional EMRSs with an enrolment of 9,282 students in 2024-25.
* EMRSs require 15 acres of land (criteria relaxable), including classrooms, labs, libraries, administrative facilities, separate hostels, and staff quarters.
Funding Details:
* Specific funds have been released for EMRS establishment and operation from 2020-21 to 2025-26, with detailed figures provided for both India and Telangana.
* The Establishment of Ashram Schools is now under the scheme of Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).
Scholarships:
* Details of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships disbursed to tribal students in Telangana from 2020 to 2025 are provided in Annexure II.
Addressing Challenges:
* Increased construction costs for new EMRSs were approved in 2021-22.
* Construction is entrusted to CPWD, state agencies, and PSUs, with third-party quality assurance.
* Funds are allocated for upgrading old EMRSs and addressing infrastructure gaps.
* NESTS recruited 10,391 staff through ESSE 2023 and advises states to depute staff, engage guest teachers, and outsource non-teaching staff.
* Measures to reduce dropout rates include awareness programs, vocational courses, career counselling, skill enhancement, and infrastructure development.
DAJGUA and Ashram Schools:
* Details of funds approved and released for Ashram Schools under DAJGUA are provided in Annexure I.
Impact Analysis:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs/NESTS:
* Impact: Responsible for managing and implementing the EMRS scheme, addressing infrastructural gaps, teacher recruitment, and reducing dropout rates.
* Action Required: Continue monitoring EMRS construction, quality assurance, staff recruitment, and implementation of measures to reduce dropout rates. Implement DAJGUA for Ashram School Upgradation.
State Governments (Especially Telangana):
* Impact: Responsible for providing land for EMRSs, coordinating with NESTS, deputing staff, and implementing measures to reduce dropout rates.
* Action Required: Resolve land and forest clearance issues, depute staff to EMRSs, engage guest teachers, and implement dropout reduction strategies.
Tribal Students:
* Impact: Beneficiaries of quality education, scholarships, and improved infrastructure.
* Action Required: Utilize available facilities, participate in vocational courses and career counselling, and pursue higher studies with scholarship support.
Contractors/Construction Agencies (CPWD, State Government agencies, and other PSUs):
* Impact: Responsible for EMRS construction and upgradation.
* Action Required: Ensure timely and quality construction of EMRSs, adhering to quality monitoring mechanisms.
Key Entities Referenced
Eklavya Model Residential Schools EMRS: A government initiative to establish residential schools for tribal students, aiming to provide quality education and bring them at par with the general population.
Telangana: A state in India, specifically mentioned in the context of the number of EMRS schools, enrollment figures, funds released, and tribal students receiving scholarships.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The government ministry responsible for tribal welfare and the implementation of schemes like EMRS and Ashram Schools.
Ashram Schools: A type of school, often residential, aimed at providing education to tribal students, with funding and support from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
National Education Society for Tribal Students NESTS: An autonomous organization established under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to manage and implement the EMRS scheme.
Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India: A constitutional provision under which funds are sanctioned for the development and welfare of Scheduled Tribes, including the establishment and upgradation of EMRS and Ashram Schools.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan DAJGUA: A flagship convergencedriven initiative to saturate tribalmajority villages with essential infrastructure and welfare services, including the upgradation of Ashram Schools.
Scheduled Tribes ST: A group of historically disadvantaged indigenous peoples in India who are the target beneficiaries of the EMRS and Ashram School programs.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO- * 402
TO BE ANSWERED ON- 21/08/2025
STATUS OF EMRS AND ASHRAM SCHOOLS
*402. SHRI BALRAM NAIK PORIKA:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the current status of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram Schools
operational in the country, particularly in Telangana including the number of schools, enrolment
figures and infrastructure details as on June 2025;
(b) the details of the funds released for the establishment and operation of EMRS and Ashram
Schools from 2020 to 2025, particularly in Telangana;
(c) the number of tribal students in Telangana who have received pre-matric and post-matric
scholarships under central schemes since 2020 including the total amount disbursed and the
number of beneficiaries, year-wise; and
(d) the measures taken to address challenges such as teacher shortages, infrastructural gaps
and high dropout rates among tribal students in these schools?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI JUAL ORAM)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
*****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION
NO.*402 FOR 21/08/2025 RAISED BY SHRI BALRAM NAIK PORIKA REGARDING
"STATUS OF EMRS AND ASHRAM SCHOOLS".
(a) and (b) In Union Budget of 2018-19, Government of India announced that to provide
quality education to the tribal children in their own environment, Eklavya Model
Residential School (EMRS) will be established in every block having more than 50% ST
population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011). EMRS was introduced
in the year 1997-98 to provide quality upper primary, secondary and senior secondary
level education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) students (Class 6th to 12th) in remote areas to
enable them to access the best opportunities in education and to bring them at par with
the general population. In addition to the 288 EMRSs sanctioned under Article 275(1),
440 more EMRSs have been proposed across the country, bringing the total approved
728 EMRSs out of which 479 EMRSs are reported to be functional as on June 2025.
National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization,
has been established under Ministry of Tribal Affairs to manage and implement the
scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in co-ordination with State EMRS
Societies. The status of Functional EMRSs and Enrolment therein across the country and
particularly for State of Telangana as on June 2025 is as follows:
Country/State Functional (June 2025) Enrolment (2024-
25)
India 479 138336
Telangana 23 9282
Infrastructure details in EMRSs: The setup of EMRS required provision of 15 acres of
land free from all encumbrances to be provided by the state Government for creating a
conducive environment for imparting quality education and provisioning of infrastructure
towards sports & extra-curricular activities. Facilities in the schools include 16 nos. of
classrooms; fully equipped science labs, computer labs, math’s lab; library; administrative
facilities for Principal and Staff; toilet and drinking water facility; sports and games facilities
(indoor and outdoor). Other facilities include separate Hostels for boys and girls, kitchen
& dining hall and residential quarters for teaching and non-teaching staff, etc. are also
provided. The criteria of 15 acre has however been relaxed on case-to-case basis.
Details of funds released for the establishment and operation of EMRS, across the country
and particularly for State of Telangana during the F. Y. 2020-21 to 2025-26 (till 11/08/2025)
is as under:
Rs. In Lakhs
Financial Year India Telangana
2020-21 92,239.38 9,517.30
2021-22 1,29,753.90 19,695.52
2022-23 1,97,055.60 12,794.53
2023-24 2,30,494.90 14,276.17
2024-25 4,61,079.70 16,804.362025-26 (Till
11/08/2025) 1,42,883.00 8,085.09
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) was running a separate scheme “Establishment of
Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub-Plan Areas” under which funds were provided to State
Governments for the construction of Ashram schools and for upgradation of existing
Ashram Schools. The intervention is subsumed in the scheme of ‘Special Central
Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS). Further some infrastructure and
upgradation of these schools has been funded under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of
India. Therefore, no separate allocation was made under “Establishment of Ashram
Schools in Tribal Sub-Plan Areas since 2018-19. Further, Ministry of Tribal Affairs
launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) on 2nd October
2024 as a flagship convergence-driven initiative to saturate 63,843 tribal-majority villages
with essential infrastructure and welfare services. Upgradation of Ashram Schools is one
of the components of DA-JGUA. The details of funds approved and released for Ashram
School under DAJGUA is given at Annexure I.
The details of funds approved for EMRSs and Ashram Schools related activities under
Article 275(1) of the Constitution from 2020 to 2025 and for ‘Ashram Schools’ related
activities under ‘SCA to TSS’ are as under:
(Rs. In Lakhs)
Financial For EMRS related For Ashram schools For Ashram schools
Year activities under Article related activities related activities under
275(1) (Rs. in lakh) under Article 275(1) ‘SCA to TSS’ (Rs. in
(Rs. in lakh) lakh)
India Telangana India Telangana India Telangana
2020-21 8093.64 0 11617.88 644.00 8383.11 800.00
2021-22 1044.45 0 7643.33 0 Since 2021-22, SCA to
2022-23 8647.07 0 12066.84 2775.00 TSS has been
2023-24 18949.14 274.00 17456.73 0 transformed into
2024-25 27164.14 3960.00 15026.73 0 ‘PMAAGY’.
(c): The number of tribal students in Telangana who have received pre-matric and post-
matric scholarships under central schemes since 2020, including the total amount
disbursed and the number of beneficiaries, year-wise, is at Annexure II.
(d) Several initiatives have been undertaken to address infrastructural gaps in EMRSs,
including expediting construction, strengthening quality monitoring mechanisms, and
ensuring timely provision of essential facilities such as hostels, classrooms, and staff
quarters. The detail is as under:-
The construction cost of EMRSs was enhanced in 2021–22 to ₹37.80 crore in plain
areas and ₹48 crore in hilly areas (from earlier ₹20 crore and ₹24 crore) for 440
newly sanctioned schools. Construction of EMRSs has been entrusted to CPWD, State Government agencies,
and other PSUs to ensure professional execution and accountability.
Coordination with State Governments to resolve land, forest clearance, and
encroachment issues delaying construction.
Provision of funds for upgradation of old EMRSs at ₹5 crore per school.
Additional funds sanctioned under Article 275(1) for construction of staff quarters,
boys’ and girls’ hostels, approach roads, water facilities, and to bridge
infrastructural gaps in old EMRSs.
Independent Third Party Quality Assurance (TPQA) agencies engaged to monitor
construction quality.
Structural audits conducted for completed and ongoing buildings to identify and
rectify deficiencies.
Simplification of the payment process through introduction of escrow accounts.
NESTS carried out its first drive for direct recruitment of 10391 posts through ESSE-
2023 and staff selected have been posted in various EMRSs. In addition to the
direct recruitment, NESTS also has advised State Governments to depute staff on
deputation. Further, directions have been issued to State EMRS Society to engage
guest teachers against vacancies, and non-teaching staff on outsourcing
basis/local engagement, so that academic activities are not hampered.
To address the issue of student dropouts and improve retention, NESTS, through State
Governments has been implementing various essential steps, including:
I) Mobilizing the tribal population to enroll in EMRSs (Eklavya Model Residential
Schools) by raising awareness about the schools through participation in camps
and outreach programs.
II) Facilitating tribes by constructing educational facilities in the most remote areas.
III) Introducing vocational courses to enable students to acquire skills that will
support their sustainability in the job market.
IV) Providing necessary facilities for career counselling to make students aware of
prevailing opportunities. It enables students to gain insights into different career
paths, understand industry requirements, and acquire the necessary skills for
success in their chosen fields.
V) The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through NESTS, is also focusing on skill
enhancement of students to support them post-formal education. This includes
making them aware of the scholarship schemes offered by the Ministry to
facilitate their pursuit of higher studies.
VI) Additionally, focusing on building new infrastructure and recruiting high-quality
human resources in a timely manner to enhance educational outcomes and
reduce drop-out rates. As a result, the dropout rate among tribal students in
EMRSs remains minimal.
VII) NESTS has also issued instructions to State Societies with directions to ensure
students retention and zero dropouts in EMRSs.Annexure I
Annexure I as referred in part (a) and (b) of the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.
*402 for 21.08.2025 raised by Shri Balram Naik Porika regarding “Status of EMRS and
Ashram Schools”
The details of funds approved and released for Ashram School under DAJGUA as on 14.08.2025
(Rs. in Lakhs)
Ashram Schools
Approved Fund
Units
S. No Name of States/UTs Amount released
1 Andhra Pradesh 175 155.98 11.75
2 Arunachal Pradesh 128 28.01 6.50
3 Assam 640 300.81 124.45
4 Bihar 5 1.76 -
5 Chhattisgarh 1160 707.37 -
6 Gujarat 217 163.48 63.82
7 Himachal Pradesh 45 22.47 8.99
8 Jharkhand 641 229.71 75.73
9 Kerala 30 13.96 0.53
10 Madhya Pradesh 526 447.51 31.90
11 Maharashtra 160 568.55 83.14
12 Manipur 64 16.75 7.13
13 Nagaland 198 50.28 5.78
14 Odisha 527 366.65 146.66
15 Rajasthan 558 233.85 -
16 Sikkim 49 34.35 2.90
17 Tamil Nadu 80 27.21 10.88
18 Telangana 623 51.56 -
19 Tripura 36 78.74 7.66
20 Uttar Pradesh 25 7.45 -
Total 5887 3506.43 587.82Annexure II
Annexure II as referred in part (c) of the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.
*402 for 21.08.2025 raised by Shri Balram Naik Porika regarding “Status of EMRS
and Ashram Schools”
Details of funds disbursed and beneficiaries under the Pre-Matric Scholarship
Scheme for ST students of the Telangana state government.
(₹ in Lakhs)
Sl Name 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
. of the
Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund
N State/ Benefici Benefici Benefici Benefici Benefici
Disbur Disbur Disbur Relea Disbur
o. UT aries aries aries aries aries
sed sed sed sed sed
Telang 195.0 150.0
1 7625 3066 76.98 225 5.72 2460* # 0**
ana 1 0
*- provisional data submitted by state/UT
**-funds not released due to unspent balance/non-submission of UC/SoE/Proposal etc
#- beneficiary data is yet to be reported by State/UT.
Details of funds disbursed and beneficiaries under the Post-Matric Scholarship
Scheme for ST students of the Telangana state government.
(₹ in Lakhs)
Sl Name 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
. of the
Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund
N State/ Benefici Benefici Benefici Benefici Benefici
Disbur Disbur Disbur Disbur Disbur
o. UT aries aries aries aries aries
sed sed sed sed sed
Telang 12060 29324 7789. 15344 15167
1 114657 186372 62478 131597 96228
ana .02 .01 84 .50 .66
*****