Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

A scheme meant to give every tribal-majority block its own residential school has taken almost three decades to reach two-thirds of its target. It’s still growing.

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Eklavya Model Residential Schools

One block, one school — a goal set in 2018, still being built

1997-98

EMRS launches, under Article 275(1) of the Constitution, for residential ST education.

2018

A major revamp sets a “one school per qualifying block” target, managed by NESTS.

2020-21

Cumulative EMRS enrolment stands at 92,075 students.

2024-25

Enrolment rises to 1,38,336; 479 of 728 targeted schools are functional.

Target schools728

Functional (2024-25)479

Chhattisgarh‘s schools75 (most)

On Par with Navodaya

EMRS is designed to give ST students in remote, tribal-majority blocks the same quality of residential schooling as Navodaya Vidyalayas offer elsewhere.

📑 Contents

1Timeline
2Must Know
3Good to Know
4Current Affairs
5Test Yourself
6Great to Know

Timeline

1997-98: The Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) scheme launches, under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.
2018: A major revamp sets a new goal: one EMRS in every block with over 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons. The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) is given charge of running the schools.
2020-21: Cumulative EMRS enrolment stands at 92,075 students.
2024-25: Enrolment rises to 1,38,336. Against a target of 728 schools, 479 are functional.

Must Know

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) provide free, quality residential education, up to Class XII, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students.
EMRS aims to match the standard of Navodaya Vidyalayas. It was launched in 1997-98, under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.
Since a 2018 revamp, one EMRS is envisaged for every block with over 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons.
Against a target of 728 schools, 479 are functional as of 2024-25.
Cumulative EMRS enrolment rose from 92,075 in 2020-21 to 1,38,336 in 2024-25.

Good to Know

EMRS schools are run on the ground by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS). NESTS took over school management after the 2018 revamp.
As of 2024-25, Chhattisgarh has the most functional EMRS schools of any state, with 75. Madhya Pradesh follows with 63, Jharkhand with 51, and Odisha with 47.
EMRS sits alongside other tribal welfare schemes, under the same Ministry of Tribal Affairs. These include PM-JANMAN and the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras run under TRIFED.
EMRS’s education mandate is distinct from these livelihood-focused schemes. It targets school-age ST children directly, rather than adult skill-building or income generation.

Current Affairs

5 June 2026: NESTS signed an MoU with CoGrad, to bring AI-enabled academic support to EMRS classrooms.
- The partnership supports over 9,000 teachers, across 499 functional EMRSs, eventually benefiting over 1.5 lakh students.
- CoGrad provides free two-year access to “Medha AI,” an educator platform for automated quiz generation, lesson planning, 3D models, and teaching-learning materials.
(Source: PIB)
11 February 2026: In a Rajya Sabha reply, the Ministry gave a state-wise EMRS infrastructure update.
- As of 1 January 2026, 723 EMRSs had been sanctioned nationwide, close to the 728-school target cited in this article’s own Timeline.
- Odisha leads with 111 sanctioned schools, followed by Jharkhand (91) and Chhattisgarh (75).
- NESTS has completed its first phase of direct recruitment, filling 10,391 posts through the EMRS Staff Selection Examination (ESSE) 2023.
(Source: PIB)

Test Yourself

Great to Know

EMRS took over two decades to gain real institutional momentum. It existed on paper from 1997-98, but only got a concrete, block-level target and a dedicated management body after the 2018 revamp.
Reaching 479 of 728 targeted schools, about 66%, shows a programme still mid-rollout, not a completed one. The remaining gap concentrates the challenge in the hardest-to-reach blocks left for last.
Chhattisgarh’s lead in functional schools tracks its large ST population and its long-running Left-Wing Extremism-affected districts. There, the state has specifically prioritised residential schooling as a stabilising, long-term investment.

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