Ministry of Tribal Affairs has recognised 163 priority districts having 25% or more Scheduled Tribe (ST) population for implementation of tribal development programmes including establishment of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). Out of these 163 districts, EMRSs have been sanctioned for 112 districts in the country. These districts are located in Arunachal Pradesh Assam, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura.

Establishment of EMRSs is a demand driven project based on the proposals received from State Governments and subject to availability of land. This Ministry releases funds for construction and recurring cost of EMRSs. However, as per extant guidelines of EMRSs, each State Government/ UT Administration is solely responsible for the management and effective functioning of the EMRSs, school admissions, appointment of teachers/staff and personnel matters.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Jaswantsinh Bhabhor in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Samir/jk

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