- Introduction of Sub-Quota: The Centre introduced a 5% sub-quota for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in admissions to EMRS in 2020.
Relevance : GS 2(Education , Governance)
- Current Enrollment: As of October 2024, there are 1,30,101 students enrolled in 407 functional EMRSs.
- PVTG Student Population: Only 4,480 students (3.4%) belong to PVTG communities, falling short of the 5% target.
- States Struggling: Madhya Pradesh (3.8%), Chhattisgarh (2.74%), and Gujarat (0.2%) are among the states struggling to meet the quota.
- Dropout Rates: The number of PVTG students dropping out has increased over the past three years: 10 in 2021-22, 14 in 2022-23, and 18 in 2023-24.
- Reasons for Dropout: Infrastructure gaps, teacher shortages, pressure to work for earning, and quality of education are cited as reasons for the dropouts.
- Centralized Administration: The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) was set up in 2019 to centralize the administration of EMRSs.
- Government Response: The Tribal Affairs Ministry has acknowledged the challenges and is working on addressing them
