.png?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
None of the 46 candidates recruited for the position of Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) in Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Telangana are from Telugu-speaking regions of the country. Statistics highlight that a similar situation prevails in most other Southern states as well.
Reason? A mandatory qualification requirement in the Hindi-language competency test.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, in 2023, centralised the recruitment process for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), which provide free education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) children from Class VI to XII in a residential set up.
The Information Bulletin uploaded on the EMRS website for the staff selection exam 2023 for posts of principal, Post-Graduate Teachers (PGT) and non-teaching staff, states the language competency test (General English and General Hindi - 10 marks for each subject) as a mandatory part of the exam. As per the official document, if a candidate fails to qualify for the language test with a minimum of 40 per cent score, he or she will not be evaluated.
While these new changes in the recruitment process have evidently created barriers for candidates from southern and non-Hindi speaking states, it also creates a huge problem for the tribal students who will be affected due to the language barrier.
The issue was highlighted by entrepreneur Nayini Anurag Reddy in a series of tweets on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, July 12.
In a conversation with EdexLive, Reddy said, “There is no point in spending crores of rupees in the name of tribal schools when the motive is not being fulfilled. When a non-native staff, who doesn't understand the local language, culture or sensibilities of tribal students, how will they be able to effectively communicate with the students.”
Language barrier
Eklavya Model Residential Schools predominantly serve marginalised tribes in India, often living in internal parts of states.
However, given the new requirement of Hindi competency, most of the candidates that were recruited in 2023 — 303 Principals and 707 Junior Secretariat Assistants, along with thousands of other teaching and non-teaching positions — came from Hindi-speaking states.
Prof AB Ota, retired IAS officer who has been Director of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) in Odisha, said, “Students in EMRS are first-generation learners from tribal families. They will definitely find it difficult to learn and interact if the staff do not speak their language. Regional language is important to make students feel comfortable.”
A secondary government school teacher hailing from a tribal area in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, who spoke to EdexLive on the condition of anonymity, said that the language barrier might lead to students losing interest and not coming to school, leading to dropouts.
"Until last year, we had several local teachers and children who shared a comfort level and a good rapport with them. For example, they felt comfortable walking up to them after classes, asking them doubts or for more help. Now, if we bring in a new batch of teachers, children will not be in a position to speak up," he said.
"The realities of tribal areas are different and one must consider that before formulating these model schools. Otherwise, native Telangana teachers will suffer," says Ram Kumar P, Founder, Samaritans For The Nation, an NGO that works in tribal areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He also urged that the Hindi test aspect needs to be reviewed.
Ram Kumar also pointed out that before COVID-19, all government schools were Telugu-medium and English was introduced only after. "There are many local teachers also who are more than capable of teaching in English, they just need training," he says.
Erasure of tribal culture?
While it need not be mentioned that the learning outcome of tribal students will be severely affected due to the language barrier between the students, teachers and other staff, the issue runs much deeper than that.
"The syllabus has nothing to do with Telangana's tribal culture and traditions. Previously at least, the local teachers used to bring it in from their end. But given the current situation, it might gradually contribute to the factors which lead to the erasure of tribal culture and tradition," says the teacher, emphasising that students will be at a big loss when it comes to learning about tribal culture.
Ramana Akula, Former Project Officer, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) - Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, explained how this can lead to cultural ramifications.
“Tribal culture itself is a different ballgame. On top of that, some of the children studying in EMRS are from primitive tribal groups. We have to understand their culture, their requirements, their festivals and their traditions. If the staff is from any other part of the country, and they want to impart education in their own ways, it would lead to so many problems,” he said.
On the other hand, the candidates from northern states who have been hired in EMRS also feel the pinch of culture shock.
One such candidate, hailing from Haryana, spoke to EdexLive, “Many candidates are seeking transfer because they are not familiar with the culture — especially food. The food here is very different from what we are used to.”
Centralisation — good or bad?
In 2023, the responsibility of EMRS recruitments was shifted to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), which has now been given the task of staffing 38,000 positions in over 400 Eklavya schools across the country.
As per reports, this was done to standardise the recruitment rules and quality across states — in line with schools under Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) education society and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
“Requirements of tribal students are very different from other students, let's say from Navodaya and Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools. We cannot see EMRS from the same lens as KV and Navodaya schools. These schools need to have predominantly native speakers,” opined Akula.
Retired IAS officer Prof AB Ota said that while centralisation is necessary for certain reasons — mainly to maintain quality and uniformity, the government should ensure that preference is given to local candidates from the same state while recruiting.
More red flags…
Entrepreneur Nayini Anurag Reddy, who brought the issue to light through her X post, suggests that there might be a larger issue or scam at play.
Sharing the data of the 46 candidates who were hired for the JSA position in Telangana schools, Reddy highlighted that 43 are from Haryana, two are from Delhi while one candidate is from Rajasthan. None of the recruited candidates are from the Telugu-speaking states of the country.
“People have reached out to me alleging that in certain exam centres in Haryana, malpractice is usually widespread. As many as 43 are from one single state. Even if you check the roll numbers are from 3three to four centres in Haryana. This is another red flag,” she alleged.
