Mayurbhanj: A newly built Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) at Badasahi, Mayurbhanj, Odisha was inaugurated by The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.
On this occasion, the Hon’ble President said that education is very important for the development of society. That is why the government is opening Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students in remote tribal blocks. Now it is the responsibility of parents to send the children to school.
Eklavya Residential Model School is a flagship scheme of Government of India for imparting quality education to the tribal students. In 2019, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, 452 new EMRSs were sanctioned, one in every tribal block with 50% or more ST population and 20,000. The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is implementing this scheme. The recurring cost per student has been enhanced from Rs. 61,000 to Rs. 1,09,000 in 2019. Later in 2022, the construction cost of EMRS was enhanced from Rs. 20 crores and Rs. 24 crores to Rs 38 crores and 48 crores in plain areas and hilly areas, respectively. With 288 schools sanctioned before 2019 under the old scheme, Ministry of Tribal Affairs would be setting up total 740 schools by March 2026, including construction of 452 schools approved in 2019. NESTS is also in the process of recruiting 38,800 teaching and non-teaching staff in phased manner of which about 10,000 staff have already been selected.
The Badasahi EMRS campus is constructed in about 8 acres of land. A typical EMRS will have 16 class rooms for 480 students comprising of 240 girls and 240 boys. There are separate boys’ and girls’ hostels, mess, residential accommodation for Principal, teaching and non-teaching staff, administrative block, playground, computer and science laboratories. These schools will prove to be a milestone for the overall development of tribal students of this area.
The school inaugurated by Hon’ble President is one of the 25 schools constructed under the new scheme, where in the construction cost of the schools has been increased to Rs 38 cr in Plain areas and Rs 48 crore in hilly areas. Previously Hon’ble President had also inaugurated school in Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Other dignitaries present during the occasion included Hon. Governor of Odisha, Shri Raghubar Das, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu, among other senior dignitaries from Union and State Governments.
Recently, the EMRS Udala and EMRS at Tantnagar, Manjhari, Noamundi, Bansjor, Pakartanr and EMRS at West Singhbum and Simedga were also inaugurated by Union Minister Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda on 24th, 26th and 27th February respectively.
On this occasion, the Hon’ble Minister, Shri Arjun Munda said that I am happy that we are inaugurating the schools for which we had laid the foundation stone showing the commitment of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to provide best quality schools in remotest areas of the country in a time bound manner.
