‘562 more Ekalavya schools soon’

New Delhi: The government will set up 562 more Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in tribal areas across the country that will be on par with the Navodaya Vidyalayas, Tribal Affairs minister Jual Oram said on Friday. Detailing about the budgetary provisions for budget 2018-19, Oram said 271 EMRSs have already been sanctioned out of which 190 are currently operational.

The EMRS are planned under a government scheme for model residential school for Indian tribals (Scheduled Tribes) across India, he said in a press conference here. The government is committed to provide the best quality education to the tribal children in their own environment, Oram said, recalling the finance minister's budget speech. 

To realise this mission, it has been decided that by 2022, every block with more than 50 per cent Scheduled Tribes' population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS. "The Ekalavya Schools will be on par with the Navodaya Vidyalayas and have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development, Oram said. 

An amount of Rs 241.60 crore was released to states during 2017-18 for meeting recurring cost of 190 functional EMRSs where about 56,000 tribal students are enrolled at the rate of Rs 42,000 per student per annum. Oram said 24 items of Forest Produce are now been given MSP which will substantially increase the income of the tribal population.

"Similarly, loans are been given to tribal self help groups through National Tribes Finance Development Corporation at low interest rate varying from one to eight per cent," he said.  As announced by the Finance Minister in his budget speech, more than Rs39,000 crore have been allocated for STs in 2018-19 under the Tribal Sub-plans schemes, he added.