Recently, The large numbers of staff recruited from Hindi-speaking States are protesting postings to the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) located in southern States, where the language, food and culture is unfamiliar to them.

About Eklavya Schools or Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

• Establishment and Objective: Eklavya Schools started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas in order to enable them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors.
• The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students. Coverage: Each school has a capacity of 480 students, catering to students from Class VI to XII.
• Funding: Grants were given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution.
• Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools (EMDBS): Wherever density of ST population is higher in identified Sub-Districts (90% or more), it is proposed to set up Eklavya Model Day Boarding School (EMDBS) on an experimental basis for providing additional scope for ST Students seeking to avail school education without residential facility.
• Centre of Excellence for Sports (CoE for Sports): Dedicated infrastructure for setting up Centre of Excellence for sports with all related infrastructure (buildings, equipment’s etc.) is supported. 
• This Centre of Excellence will have specialized state-of-the-art facilities for one identified individual sport and one group sport in each State. 

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Change in Recruitment

• Under State Authorities: Previously, the recruitment of teachers for the Eklavya Model Residential Schools was managed by state authorities responsible for implementing the scheme within their respective states. 
• In 2023: Responsibility was transferred to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an agency under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs tasked with overseeing the EMRS Scheme.
  •  The EMRS initiative aims to fill 38,000 positions across more than 400 schools nationwide.

Selected Candidates Concerns

• Staff shortage:  Responsibility was being shifted to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), which has now been given the task of staffing 38,000 positions in over 400 Eklavya schools across the country. 
• Examination: The 2023 EMRS Staff Selection Examination, which was part of this centralized recruitment process, was conducted by the National Testing Agency, which has faced several scandals recently.
• Selected Candidates Protested: Given the new requirement of Hindi competency, a large number of selected candidates hail from Hindi-speaking States, many of whom now want transfers from their postings from unfamiliar postings in southern states due to language and cultural differences.
  • NESTS has temporarily halted transfer requests and plans to introduce a transfer policy similar to that of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
• Future Plans and Policies: Candidates are expected to learn the local language within two years, with support provided for training.
  • Officials emphasize the necessity for staff to be prepared to work in diverse locations, as stated in their job applications.

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