Eklavya Model Residential Schools
- Why in News?
- Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Microsoft have signed an MoU to support the digital transformation of schools which includes Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
- Under this initiative, Microsoft will make AI curriculum available to tribal students in both Hindi & English Language.
- It will be done for all EMRS to skill educators and students in next-generation technologies including Artificial Intelligence.
- In the first phase of the program, 250 EMRS have been adopted by Microsoft out of which 50 EMRS will be given intensive training and 500 master trainers would be trained in the first phase.
- This program will enable our students to be prepared and ready at various International Forums.
- It is the objective of the Digital India Mission that every segment of the society needs to be empowered and by this program, the gap will be filled between the tribal students and others.
- This will also help tribal students to maintain continuity in their studies during the lockdown period.
- The greatness of this program is that not only students but 5000 teachers nominated by the ministry across these schools would be provided with professional training
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools-
- EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to Scheduled Tribes children in remote areas so that they can become able to avail opportunities in high and professional education courses and can get employment in various sectors and thereby improve their condition in the society.
- It is a scheme by the Government of India for all the Indian Tribals across all the states.
- EMRS are set up in States/UTs with provisioning of funds through "Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution".
- According to the budget 2018-19, every block of more than 50 % of the ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons will have an EMRS by 2022.
- As per the 2011 Census, there are 564 sub-districts having more than 50% ST population and at least 20, 000 tribal persons.
- Why EMRS?
- Scheduled Tribes constitute 8.6% of the country's total population & 11.3 % of the rural population.
- Literacy rate has increased among the ST, from 8.53% in 1961 to 58.96% in 2011 but still, significant disparities exist in enrolment rates, dropouts, across states, districts & blocks.
- According to the Statistics of School Education 2010-11, dropout rates among tribal students are as follows-
- 35.6% in Classes I to V
- 55% in Classes I to VIII &
- 70.9% in Classes I to X .
- According to a 2014 UNICEF-sponsored South Asia regional study, economic and socio-cultural factors are the main reasons behind the education deprivation for certain groups in India, especially SCs, STs, and Muslims.
- Conclusion-
EMRS can immensely benefit the tribal population by providing them a level playing field so that they can improve their financial, social status.
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