7 days ago
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
