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India Today
08-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Tribal school dropouts soar 5x in 4 years: Chhattisgarh, Odisha top the list
In a concerning development highlighting challenges in tribal education, dropout rates among students in Eklaavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have surged nearly five times over the past four to official data provided by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey, the number of tribal school dropouts has increased sharply, reflecting growing issues within the schooling system catering to tribal number of student dropouts from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have jumped to 552 in 2024-25, from just 111 in 2021-22, according to official data reports. The highest numbers were seen from Chhattisgarh (88), Odisha (87), and Madhya Pradesh (71), Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey told the Lok 2021-22 to 2024-25, a total of 1,233 tribal students dropped out of EMRS, rising each year from 111 in 2021-22, 241 in 2022-23, 329 in 2023-24, and 552 in 2024-25. State-wise Trends of student dropouts from EMRS in 2024-2025 STATE-WISE TRENDSChhattisgarh: From just 2 dropouts in 2021-22 to 88 in 84 dropouts in 2023-24, slightly up to 87 in Pradesh: Highest in 2022-23 with 101 dropouts, falling to 71 in Dropped from 30 in 2022-23 to just 6 in states with high numbers in 2024-25 include Maharashtra (68), Andhra Pradesh (66), Rajasthan (45), and Telangana (37).According to Durgadas Uikey as of 14 July 2025, 479 out of the 728 approved Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are operational, offering free residential education to tribal students from Class government has raised construction funding to Rs 37.8 crore in plains, Rs 48 crore in hilly areas and upgraded old schools. Work is handled by CPWD, state agencies, and PSUs, with land and clearance issues being resolved. Hostels, staff quarters, and water facilities are being added, alongside third-party quality checks and digital classrooms.A 10,391-post recruitment drive in 2023 filled many vacancies, with guest teachers and outsourced staff covering the performance is tracked through central, state, and district-level reviews and real-time dashboards, focusing on enrolment, dropout rates, academics, and EMRSEklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) were launched in 1997-98 to provide quality education to Scheduled Tribe children in remote areas, helping them pursue higher studies and gain employment. Each school, with a capacity of 480 students from Classes VI to XII, focuses on both academics and overall development.- Ends
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Dropouts from EMRS schools jumped nearly fivefold in 4 years; Chhattisgarh, Odisha worst hit: Govt data
New Delhi, Student dropouts from Eklavya Model Residential Schools , set up to provide quality education to tribal children, have increased sharply in recent years, with 552 such cases recorded in 2024-25 compared to just 111 in 2021-22, official data show. Dropouts from EMRS schools jumped nearly fivefold in 4 years; Chhattisgarh, Odisha worst hit: Govt data The highest dropouts in the 2024-25 academic year were reported from Chhattisgarh , Odisha , and Madhya Pradesh , according to information provided by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey in response to a question in Lok Sabha. In total, 1,233 tribal students dropped out of EMRSs between 2021-22 and 2024-25. The number has risen each year, from 111 in 2021-22 to 241 in 2022-23 and 329 in 2023-24. EMRSs are centrally-funded residential schools established in tribal-majority areas to improve access to quality education. As of July 14 this year, 479 EMRSs are functional out of the 728 sanctioned, the minister said. Odisha reported high dropout numbers, with 84 students leaving EMRSs in 2023-24 and 87 in 2024-25. In Chhattisgarh, dropouts rose from just two in 2021-22 to 88 in 2024-25. Madhya Pradesh had the highest dropout count in 2022-23 at 101, followed by a dip to 71 in the 2024-25 academic year. Jharkhand saw 30 dropouts in 2022-23 but managed to bring the number down to six in 2024-25. Other states with high dropout figures in 2024-25 include Maharashtra , Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan and Telangana . Uikey said several initiatives have been taken to reduce dropouts, especially among PVTG students. These include digital classrooms, provision of nutritious meals, counselling and vocational education in modern subjects like artificial intelligence and coding. He said all facilities, including safe hostels, CBSE-aligned curriculum and healthcare, are being provided free of cost to remove economic barriers. Awareness campaigns and outreach in remote tribal areas are also being conducted. The National Education Society for Tribal Students , which oversees the scheme, has carried out a large-scale recruitment drive and directed state authorities to appoint guest teachers and non-teaching staff wherever needed. The government has also significantly stepped-up funding under the EMRS scheme from ₹1,200 crore in 2020-21 to ₹4,748.92 crore in 2024-25 to bridge infrastructure gaps and improve learning outcomes. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
About 600 Eklavya school students cracked IIT-JEE, NEET exams, says Centre
Close to 600 students from government-run Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for Tribal Students across 12 States have cleared top entrance examinations this year for undergraduate studies in medicine and engineering across the country, the Tribal Affairs Ministry's assessment of the EMRS's performance for the year showed. Officials added that in a special effort to give these students the confidence to proceed with higher education, the Ministry is preparing to reach out to these students with the gamut of government scholarships available to them and handhold the entire application process. Officials told The Hindu that a total of 596 students of EMRS schools in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra qualified for either IIT-JEE Mains, IIT-JEE Advanced, or the NEET examinations. One official said this was the first time such data had been compiled for EMRS students, adding that in previous years, 'the number would have been in a few dozen'. The EMRS is one of the Tribal Affairs Ministry's flagship schemes and the Union government has in the last five years pushed for major reforms in the administration of these schools, including trying to centralise their running, through setting up the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS). The nearly 600 students who have cleared these entrance exams were coached by coaching centres that have partnered with the NESTS over the last couple of years to provide specific training to students of EMRSs, where tribal students, including students from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups form close to 85% of the student population. Outreach programme In a departure from regular process, a senior government official said the Scholarship Division of the Tribal Affairs Ministry was now looking to start an outreach programme, where all the Ministry's available post-matriculate scholarships for tribal students would be taken to them. 'Usually, they are left to apply for the scholarships themselves. In this case, they have done excellent work, and the Ministry wants to encourage them and give them confidence. So, since both NESTS and scholarships are handled by the Ministry, now the Ministry will track these students and handhold them to get all scholarships they are entitled to,' the official said. According to the evaluation of the performance conducted by the Tribal Affairs Ministry, 218 students qualified for the IIT-JEE Mains examination, with about 25 of them likely to get in at NITs; 34 students cracked the IIT-JEE Advanced, with 18 of them likely to get into IITs; and 344 students cracked the NEET exam, with at least three of them likely to be placed at AIIMS and most others likely to get a seat in elite government medical institutes. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Minister for State Durgadas Uikey held a meeting with NESTS on Tuesday where these results saw both the Ministers praise the efforts of the officials, teachers, and students across EMRSs. They said the scheme, its impact, and its results, needed to be taken to the public. The Tribal Affairs Ministry, through the NESTS, administers over 400 residential schools across the country, where around 1.38 lakh students are currently enrolled.
United News of India
19-06-2025
- Health
- United News of India
Tribal Affairs Min partners with AIIMS for sickle cell treatment
New Delhi, June 19 (UNI) In a major initiative to eradicate Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by 2047, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has plans to establish excellence centres across 15 leading hospitals and also collaborate with AIIMS, Delhi to launch a national competition aimed at developing new treatment options for this debilitating genetic blood disorder. With only one drug currently available for SCD management, this collaboration seeks to address the critical need for more effective therapies to combat the disease, which causes chronic anaemia, severe pain, organ damage, and a significantly reduced life expectancy, particularly among India's tribal populations. "The proposals selected in the competition will receive funding of up to Rs 10 crore for drug development. In parallel, the Ministry is establishing Centers of Competence (CoC) across 15 leading hospitals, including AIIMS, to enhance diagnostic and care facilities for the affected tribal communities," said Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, during the World Sickle Cell Day event at AIIMS here on Thursday. Following the Prime Minister's announcement on July 1, 2023 to eliminate Sickle Cell Anemia from India by 2047, the Ministry has already initiated nationwide screening and testing programs aimed at combating the disease. Vibhu Nayar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, emphasised that the CoCs aims to offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and management services for SCD, including ante-natal care. These centers, which will be operational by November 2023, will also facilitate referrals and provide specialized care to patients across the country. Nayar further stated that one of the proposed centers may serve as a national reference point for tribal health at AIIMS, Delhi which could aid hospitals in tribal-dominated regions and explore the causes of malnutrition and its potential links to genetic factors. 'One national specialize reference center on tribal health could be set up in AIIMS New Delhi which could provide assistance to the hospitals located in tribal dominated areas in different states and districts, it could provide clues why malnutrition is occurring despite several measures, it has to examine whether it's the genetic or any other reason,' the secretary added. At the event, Minister Durgadas Uikey also interacted with patients of sickle cell anaemia and their families. As people from different parts of the country are currently residing and receiving treatment in Delhi, the Minister assured them of all support of Central and state governments. He also assured them about the free availability of all medicines associated with the management of SCD. UNI AJ RKM
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Business Standard
19-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Govt announces Rs 10-cr prize for new drug to treat sickle cell disease
The government on Thursday announced an award of Rs 10 crore to develop a drug for the treatment of sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects India's tribal populations. Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited blood disorders that affect haemoglobin, causing red blood cells to become sickle-shaped and block the blood flow, which can lead to serious complications such as stroke, eye problems and infections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Eradication Mission on July 1, 2023, with the aim of eradicating the disease by 2047. The government aims to screen seven crore people up to 40 years of age as part of the mission. At an event to mark World Sickle Cell Day here, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey announced the institution of the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Prize for the development of a drug to treat the disease. The minister said there is only one drug available as of now for the management of the disease. There is currently no option to select a drug from a range of alternatives based on the patient's body conditions and severity of the disease. He said this problem is worsened in special situations like pregnancy or the presence of other serious medical conditions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new drug. The tribal affairs ministry, in collaboration with the AIIMS-Delhi, will undertake a competition for the development of the drug. The selected proposal will be funded up to Rs 10 crore, Uikey said. He also said the ministry will establish a Centre for Tribal Health and Research Institute under the AIIMS-Delhi. This centre will also have outpatient and inpatient facilities for providing the highest-quality medical care to tribal people. Provisions for seamless referrals from peripheral hospitals in tribal-dominated areas will be explored, he said. The centre will also guide the government in policy formulation. The minister said a postgraduate course in tribal medicine will also be designed. This will help address the long-standing health inequities faced by tribal communities, who often remain underserved due to geographical, socio-cultural and systemic barriers, he said. This specialised course will be designed to develop a cadre of medical professionals with contextual knowledge, clinical skills and public health competencies tailored to tribal settings.
