Tripura mulls EMRS in all 58 blocks to boost tribal education: Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on January 1 said the state government is considering establishing Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in all 58 blocks of the state with the objective of expanding access to quality education for tribal students, particularly those living in remote and rural areas.

Addressing a programme, the Chief Minister said the government has placed special emphasis on improving educational opportunities for Scheduled Tribe students and ensuring that quality schooling reaches the grassroots. The EMRS scheme, funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is aimed at providing residential education to tribal children and enabling them to pursue higher education.

Saha noted that before the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Tripura in 2018, the state had only four Eklavya Model Residential Schools. Since then, the Centre has sanctioned 21 EMRSs for Tripura. Of these, 12 are currently operational, while two more are expected to become functional by March 2026.

The Chief Minister said the state government’s long-term goal is to establish EMRSs in all 58 blocks so that tribal students across Tripura can benefit from the scheme. He added that during his recent visit to New Delhi, he urged the Centre to relax the existing guidelines for setting up EMRSs in the state.

Under the current norms, a block must have at least 50 per cent tribal population and a minimum tribal population of 20,000 to qualify for an EMRS. Saha said he has strongly requested the Centre to ease these criteria to allow the establishment of more schools in Tripura.

Expressing optimism, the Chief Minister said he hopes the Centre will take a positive decision, which would significantly strengthen the state’s efforts to provide inclusive and equitable education for tribal communities.