Eklavya Model Residential Schools

Why in news?

• The government is pushing to set up 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students.

About Eklavya Model Residential Schools:

• EMRS is a scheme for making model residential schools for STs across India.
• It started in the year 1997-98.
• Its nodal ministry is Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• The aim of the scheme is to build schools at par with the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas with focus on special state-of-the-art facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
• The EMR School follows the CBSE curriculum.
• The funds for these schools were to come from the grants under Article 275(1) (charged on the Consolidated Fund of India in each year as grants in aid).

Revamp of EMRS:

• Powers to Union government
  • In 2018-19, the new guidelines gave the Union government more power to sanction schools and manage them.
• Education Society
  • A National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) was set up and entrusted with the management of the State Education Society for Tribal Students (SESTS), which would run the EMRS on the ground.
• Population criteria
  • The new guidelines set a target that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.
• Area requirement
  • It also reduced the minimum land requirement from 20 acres to 15 acres.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements regarding Eklavya Model Residential Schools:

1. Its nodal ministry is Ministry of Education

2. The scheme for making model residential schools for STs across India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer