Lok Sabha Question No. 5491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: Allocation of Funds to NESTS
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Rao Rajendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 5491

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 03/04/2025

## ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO NESTS

## 5491. SHRI RAO RAJENDRA SINGH:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the funds allocated to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) for opening new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) in the country during the last five years and the current year, year and State-wise;
- (b) the number of new EMRSS opened during the last five years and the current year in Rajasthan, districtwise;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to establish any EMRSs in the Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the timeline fixed for the same and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  information  on  the  staff  engaged  in  NESTS  and  EMRSs  for administration-related work and the funds devolved for the same and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to introduce any legislation to enhance oversight on various State societies that run such schools and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI. DURGADAS UIKEY)

- (a) :  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA) is implementing the Central Sector Scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) to provide quality education to the tribal children (from class VI to XII) in their own environment from the year 2018-19 onwards.  Under this scheme , Ministry releases funds to National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization established under the Ministry to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS, and NESTS further releases funds to States/ UTs/ PSUs/ Construction Agencies/ State Societies as per their requirements for construction of EMRSs and recurring cost for running of the schools. Prior to 2020-21, this scheme was a component under Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India and therefore no separate budget allocation was made for the scheme of EMRS.

Budget allocation under new EMRS scheme from 2020-21 onwards are as under:

| Financial Year   | Expenditure (in Crore)   |
|------------------|--------------------------|
| 2020-21          | 1199.95                  |
| 2021-22          | 1057.74                  |
| 2022-23          | 1999.98                  |
| 2023-24          | 2447.61                  |
| 2024-25          | 4,748.92                 |

## YEAR WISE STATEMENT OF FUND RELEASED TO STATES

Rs. In Lakhs

|   S. No. | Name of the State/UT   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25 (Till 21.03.2025)   |
|----------|------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh         | 6,199.12  | 14,591.28 | 12,600.57 | 10,795.05 | 23,277.28                   |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh (NE) | 200.24    | 119.54    | 1,010.87  | 693.91    | 2,003.38                    |
|        3 | Assam (NE)             | 750.00    | 1,800.00  | 1,433.65  | 2,732.67  | 8,304.02                    |
|        4 | Bihar                  | 10.00     | -         | -         | 8.95      | 34.12                       |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh           | 6,968.12  | 13,259.66 | 19,435.93 | 15,888.89 | 77,276.02                   |
|        6 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli   | 95.70     | 252.55    | 568.22    | 163.45    | 317.34                      |
|        7 | Gujarat                | 4,755.86  | 1,060.00  | 10,088.95 | 15,667.55 | 26,946.17                   |
|        8 | Himachal Pradesh255.06 |           | 599.11    | 483.18    | 829.76    | 1,359.59                    |
|        9 | Jammu & Kashmir        | -         | 392.40    | 1,200.00  | 891.40    | 778.27                      |
|       10 | Jharkhand              | 2,205.73  | 11,309.20 | 23,562.27 | 23,915.13 | 58,994.70                   |
|       11 | Karnataka              | 2,495.83  | 3,672.86  | 1,768.84  | 2,677.67  | 7,710.55                    |
|       12 | Kerala                 | -         | 229.56    | 1,515.66  | 249.00    | 1,137.74                    |
|       13 | Ladakh                 | -         | 10.00     | 450.00    | 800.00    | 17.41                       |
|       14 | Madhya Pradesh         | 14,459.36 | 3,560.00  | 31,817.79 | 13,157.19 | 34,495.09                   |
|       15 | Maharashtra            | 2,787.16  | 4,393.74  | 12,919.16 | 8,525.91  | 29,100.98                   |
|       16 | Manipur (NE)           | 1,268.00  | 398.08    | 2,369.98  | 3,044.92  | 2,351.85                    |
|       17 | Meghalaya (NE)         | 1,123.45  | 1,100.00  | 800.00    | 21,014.66 | 31,458.72                   |
|       18 | Mizoram (NE)           | 3,283.73  | 6,085.41  | 2,094.54  | 1,242.52  | 14,570.41                   |
|       19 | Nagaland (NE)          | 5,885.51  | 9,481.60  | 557.71    | 18,377.12 | 698.27                      |
|       20 | Odisha                 | 6,174.27  | 10,648.82 | 28,164.31 | 48,934.80 | 61,275.75                   |

| 21   | Rajasthan     | 12,944.17   | 18,214.71              | 19,463.30   | 13,687.79   | 13,632.61   |
|------|---------------|-------------|------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| 22   | Sikkim (NE)   | 800.33      | 1,037.88               | 1,047.35    | 1,118.83    | 1,034.32    |
| 23   | Tamil Nadu    | 1,225.14    | 1,190.62               | 1,098.78    | 1,099.80    | 1,738.95    |
| 24   | Telangana     | 9,517.30    | 19,695.52              | 12,794.53   | 14,276.17   | 16,187.05   |
| 25   | Tripura (NE)  | 6,064.89    | 5,715.44               | 6,435.19    | 6,670.35    | 8,965.95    |
| 26   | Uttar Pradesh | 386.68      | 337.49                 | 596.23      | 624.14      | 1,327.63    |
| 27   | Uttarakhand   | 321.28      | 598.39                 | 474.95      | 1,537.53    | 2,945.43    |
| 28   | West Bengal   | 2,062.45    | -                      | 2,303.67    | 1,869.70    | 1,789.50    |
|      | Total         | 92,239.38   | 1,29,753.861,97,055.63 |             | 2,30,494.86 | 4,29,729.07 |

For running and maintenance of EMRSs, NESTS releases Rs. 1,09,000/- per student per annum under GIA-General head. Further fund under GIA-CCA is released as per requirement on the basis of physical and financial progress of construction of schools.

- (b): In Rajasthan, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, from the financial years 2019-20 to 202425, has approved 11 new Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and 13 EMRSs have been made functional including old schools.

(c and d): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved one Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in Jamwa Ramgarh block of Jaipur district under the Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha  Constituency  during  the  financial  year  2016-17  under  Article  275(1)  of  the Constitution. The State Government has proposed to make this school functional from the academic year 2025-26.

- (e): As of March 28, 2025, the regular staff, including administrative personnel appointed in NESTS and EMRS, are as follows:

| Particulars                               | No. of regular Staff   |
|-------------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Regulars staff appointed in NESTS         | 19                     |
| Regulars staff at EMRS appointed by NESTS | 7,564                  |
| Total                                     | 7,583                  |

Details of salaries disbursed to regular staff, including administrative personnel appointed in NESTS and EMRS, during the financial year 2024-25 are as follows:

| Particulars                                       | Amount in Rs. (in Crore)   |
|---------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| Salary disbursed to staff appointed in NESTS      | 3.80                       |
| Salary disbursed to EMRS staff appointed by NESTS | 611.28                     |
| Total                                             | 615.08*                    |

Additionally, NESTS releases Rs. 1,09,000/- per student per annum for recurring grant under GIA-General for running and maintenance of EMRSs.

(f): Presently, no such proposal is under consideration, The Union Government, through the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is committed to strengthening the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) to ensure  quality  education  for  tribal  children  across  the  country.  Further  NESTS  is responsible to establish, endow, maintain, control and manage the EMRS schools across the country.

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