- The centralisation of recruitment for tribal residential schools, introducing Hindi competency as a mandatory requirement, has led to numerous transfer requests.
- Previously, state authorities managed staff recruitment for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ Eklavya schools.
- Many staff recruited from Hindi-speaking states are protesting against postings to Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in southern states due to unfamiliar language, food, and culture.
- There is concern about the impact on tribal students being taught by teachers unfamiliar with their local language and culture.
- During the Budget Session of Parliament, the Finance Minister announced the responsibility shift to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), tasked with staffing 38,000 positions in over 400 Eklavya schools nationwide.
- Officials stated that centralised recruitment aimed to address a severe teacher shortage in the EMRS system and standardise recruitment rules across states, which previously used varying criteria and state-specific reservation quotas.
- The National Testing Agency conducted the 2023 EMRS Staff Selection Examination for the first round of 4,000 vacant teaching and non-teaching positions.
| Feature | Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) | Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) | Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) |
| Introduction | Introduced in 1997-98 to provide quality education to tribal students with residential facilities in remote areas. | Established during the session 1986-87 based on the National Policy on Education, 1986. | Approved in 1962 based on the recommendations of the Second Central Pay Commission. |
| Aim | To provide quality education and all-around development of tribal students, at par with JNVs and KVs. | To provide quality modern education predominantly to rural children. | To provide, establish, endow, maintain, and manage central schools all over India and abroad. |
| Governance | Initially overseen by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; now managed by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS). | Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education. | Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, wholly financed by the Government of India. |
| Admission Criteria | Target blocks with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons. | Predominantly for rural children with 30% reservation for girls. | Not specified. |
| Affiliation | Affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi. | Affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi. | Affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi. |
| Special Features | Residential schools for tribal students; EMDBS for areas with 90% or more ST population on an experimental basis. | Promotion of National Integration through student migration between Hindi-speaking and Non-Hindi-speaking states. | Common textbooks and medium of instruction, catering to children of transferable central government employees. |
Dig Deeper: What is the Minimum land requirement criteria? It has made sanctioning of EMRS in hilly regions difficult.
