Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides support under ‘Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of  India’ to the State Governments for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) with the capacity of 480 students in each school.  Besides, residential Ashram schools have been set up under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub Plan Areas’. As on 13.12.2018, a total of 284 EMRSs and 1205 Ashram Schools have been sanctioned by Ministry of Tribal Affairs across the country.

Apart from the above, Government through Ministry of Human Resource Development is implementing various interventions which provides for opening of new schools and additional rooms in schools. As per Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE), developed by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), 2015-16, total number of Schools functional in 177 Districts having ³ 50% ST population including 14 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected Districts having ≥25% ST population is as under:

As per Census 2011, the literacy rate among Scheduled Tribe in the Country is 59%. As per statistics available in U-DISE, 2015-16, Gross Enrolment Ration (GER) of Scheduled Tribe in the country is 103.25 and annual average dropout rate at Primary level is 6.93, at Upper Primary level is 8.59 and at Elementary Level is 7.46.

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

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NB/SK/jk/Tribal Affairs-LS-3/17-12-2018