Parliament Question: Universal EMRS coverage

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 4297 TO BE ANSWERED ON- 01/04/2026 UNIVERSAL EMRS COVERAGE 4297 SHRI NIRANJAN BISHI: Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has formulated a long-term policy roadmap to ensure universal access to quality residential education for Scheduled Tribe students through EMRS; (b) whether the feasibility of establishing Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in approximately 5,000+ tribal-dominated blocks has been examined; (c) the financial implications of such large-scale expansion; and (d) the phased implementation strategy proposed to meet the growing educational aspirations of tribal youth? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY) (a): The Government has undertaken significant steps for expansion of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Scheme to provide quality education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, particularly in remote and underserved tribal dominated areas. In the Union Budget 2018–19, the Government of India decided to establish Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) from class VI to XII, in blocks having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, as per the 2011 Census. Accordingly, 728 EMRSs across the country were approved which included 288 old EMRSs established under the scheme Grants-in-aid under proviso to Article 275 (1) of Constitution of India and 440 new EMRSs. As on date, 723 EMRSs have already been sanctioned out of which 499 are functional. This expansion serves as a long-term policy roadmap to ensure access to quality residential education for Scheduled Tribe students through EMRS. (b to d): The establishment of EMRSs is based on the prescribed block-level twin criteria. The expansion of the EMRS scheme to 728 identified blocks reflects a substantial effort to meet the educational needs of ST students in underserved areas. The Government remains committed to strengthening educational infrastructure for ST students through targeted interventions, including the EMRS scheme. *****