Lok Sabha Question No. 178 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Substandard Education and Foods etc. in Tribal School
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Behanan Benny, Sukanta Majumdar, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Nisith Pramanik, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.178

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2021

## SUBSTANDARD EDUCATION AND FOODS ETC. IN TRIBAL SCHOOL

## 178.    SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of persistent media reports of substandard education & food, sexusl assault, and deaths, reported in Government-run residential schools for tribals;
- (b) whether the Government maintains data on the same, and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is aware that residential schools for tribal students have been used to forcefully assimilate indigenous tribal students in countries  such as Canada, New Zealand and Australia and whether the Government has taken any steps to learn from the failures of this model in these countries or reconsider the model?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

(a) and (b) Ministry of Tribal Affairs does not have any official information regarding substandard education and food, sexual assault, and deaths in Government-run residential schools for tribals.

Presently,  Ministry  is  funding  two  schemes  of  Government  run  residential  schools  for  tribal  students,  viz.  (i) Eklavya  Model  Residential  School  (EMRS)  and  (ii)  Construction  of  Ashram  School.  Under  the  scheme  of  Ashram School, only construction grant in cost sharing ratio basis is released to the State Government for construction of such schools. So far, this Ministry has funded 1205 Ashram Schools across the country for quality education of ST children. Recurring grants for these schools are released by the concerned State Government and all administrative management, academic  issues  including  food,  education  and  safety/security  are  being  taken  care  of  by  the  concerned  State Government.

Under  the  scheme  of  EMRS,  funds  are  released  by  this  Ministry  for  construction,  upgradation  of  schools  and  also recurring expenditure of all the students studying in class VI to XII. The Government is committed to provide quality education to the  tribal  students.  In  this  endeavour,  the  recurring  costs  per  student  per  annum  have  been  substantially increased from Rs. 42,000 in 2017-18 to Rs. 61,500 in 2018-19 and subsequently to Rs. 1,09,000 in 2019-20 to provide best  quality  facilities  to  the  students.  EMRSs  have  become  an  island  of  excellence  in  the  remote  tribal  hinterlands attracting  large  number  of  tribal  children.  Through  extra  classes,  special  coaching,  educational  tours,  exposure  visits, special camps, sports camps students have been encouraged to dream high and motivated to achieve as well. Students have done exceptionally well in academics. Regular monitoring is being done through the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) and the State/UT EMRS Society at the State Level to ensure that all the facilities as envisaged in the scheme including nutritious food, quality education, secure environment etc. is provided to the students.

(c) Ministry does not have any official information regarding forceful assimilation of indigenous tribal students in some countries. The authenticity of media reports on this account if any is not verifiable.

As per the policy of Government, EMRSs have been established since 1998 in remote tribal locations to provide quality education to tribals in their vicinity. Furthering this, the Government revamped the scheme to ensure that every block with 50% or more ST population and 20,000 or more tribal persons has an EMRS. EMRSs have always been located close to the tribal habitations to ensure that the students remain connected to their roots and do not get disconnected from their identity and culture. The design of the schools has also been ensured in a manner to reflect the vibrant culture of the tribal communities. Moreover, the rationale behind a campus with around 15 acres land was to provide the students an open and free environment. In order to ensure that students remain connected to their identity and culture, establishment of  mini-museums  have  been  encouraged  in  the  schools.  During  2020-21,  the  school  uniform  for  the  EMRS  students designed  by  National  Institute  of  Fashion  Technology,  New  Delhi  is  based  on  the  basic  premise  of  reflection  of  the vibrant culture of the tribals and their closeness to nature.