New Delhi: A total of 408 students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have qualified the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2026) for admission to MBBS courses, while 41 students have cleared JEE Advanced 2026 for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Responding to a question in the House, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said, "Eight Centres of Excellence are operational to provide focused mentoring and high-quality coaching to meritorious EMRS students preparing for IIT-JEE and NEET."
He added that the Engineering and NEET Admission Bridge Accelerated Learning Engagement (ENABLE) programme, launched in 2025, provides "structured online academic support and coaching for students aspiring to qualify for IIT-JEE and NEET."
The Minister said 508 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are currently operational across the country. In the 2025-26 academic year, the schools recorded a 93.62% pass rate in Class X and 87.82% in Class XII. As many as 173 schools achieved a 100% pass rate in Class X, while 92 schools recorded 100% results in Class XII.
On staffing, Uikey said 9,111 teaching and non-teaching personnel have already been recruited through the EMRS Staff Selection Examination (ESSE) 2023, while recruitment has been completed for another 7,267 posts through ESSE 2025.
Describing the infrastructure in the new schools, the Minister said, "All new EMRSs, with an area of 15 acres and a student capacity of 480 from Classes VI to XII, are well equipped with modern design." He said the campuses include separate hostels for boys and girls, integrated dining and kitchen facilities, staff quarters, classrooms with modern teaching aids, science and computer laboratories, libraries, playgrounds, sports facilities and spaces for extracurricular activities.
What are Eklavya Model Residential Schools?
Launched in 1997-98 under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) aim to provide quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, particularly those from remote and underserved tribal areas.
Following the Union Budget 2018-19, the Centre announced its plan to establish an EMRS in every block with a significant tribal population. Implemented through the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), the schools provide free education, boarding, lodging, textbooks, uniforms and other support for students from Classes VI to XII. In recent years, the government has expanded the network while introducing specialised coaching initiatives such as ENABLE and the Centres of Excellence to improve students' performance in competitive entrance examinations.
This report is based on inputs from IANS, with additional reporting and background by the EdexLive Desk.