Lok Sabha Question No. 4656 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Reforms in EMRS Operations
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri P P Chaudhary, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh

## 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 Statewise, 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  and

engagement 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,  highquality, CBSE-affiliated education to children within or near their own environment. With wellequipped 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. | NoState / UT                       |   EMRS SanctionedEMRS |   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 |            5 |

| 17   | 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   | New EMRS Building Completed   | New EMRS Building Completed   |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| S.No.   | Name of State     | 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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