A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Kerala State Eklavya Model Residential School Society and the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) for effective management of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Kerala.
The signing of the MoU is the first step towards positioning of EMRSs as a major change of tribal education in the remote tribal areas and it would bring all States on a uniform and mutually agreed platform.
EMRSs are a flagship intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to provide quality education to tribal students in remote tribal areas. The programme was implemented in 1998 and was revamped in 2018 to improve the geographical outreach of the programme and introduce several qualitative changes to improve learning outcomes in the schools.
Currently there are 588 schools sanctioned across the country in 28 States/UT with around 73391 students enrolled in the Schools. Another 152 schools shall be sanctioned by the year 2022.
With the execution of MoU, the schools shall be eligible for higher recurring costs so as to ensure qualitative improvements in the schools.
The MoU was signed by Puneet Kumar, Principal Secretary, Scheduled Tribes Development Department, Government of Kerala and Asit Gopal, Commissioner, NESTS in the presence of Dr. Naval Jit Kapoor, Joint Secretary (EMRS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs in New Delhi.
