Parliamentary Panel Alerts Hampering ‘Defeat Purpose’ of Flagship Tribal Schemes
New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has taken up the Ministry of Tribal Affairs over delays in setting up tribal freedom fighters museums and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), warning that the lack of clear timelines and prerequisites for states could lead to further escalation of costs and defeat the purpose of flagship plans.
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, in a report on the steps taken by the government on its recommendations, said it was “unsatisfied” with the ministry’s responses on slow progress in work on 11 tribal freedom fighters’ museums and gaps in the EMRS infrastructure, and decided to reiterate four recommendations on these issues.
The report submitted to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday showed that of the 14 recommendations made earlier, nine were accepted by the government, one was closed without further follow-up and four, related to tribal freedom fighters’ museums and EMRS expansion and improvements, were returned to the ministry for fresh action.
The committee said it appreciated the government’s decision to support 11 tribal freedom fighter museums in 10 states to celebrate the lives of tribal heroes “underrepresented in mainstream history” but highlighted “slow progress” on the ground.
Only three museums have been opened so far: the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Freedom Fighters Museum in Ranchi, the Badal Bhoi State Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum in Chhindwara, and the Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah Freedom Fighter Museum in Jabalpur.
The remaining eight museums approved in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Gujarat and Mizoram are yet to be completed; Projects approved in Kerala, Manipur and Goa in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 are still at the detailed stage. Although several years have passed, the project report (DPR) stage has been started.
The committee had earlier asked the ministry to ensure that four museums planned to be completed by November 2025 and one museum by May 2026 are completed within the stipulated time.
In its response to the action, the Ministry touched upon the state’s responsibility for land, tendering, project management and construction and listed steps such as site visits, review meetings and consultations with experts.
However, the board said it was “not satisfied” because the ministry had not given a definitive assurance that the five museums would be completed on time.
The panel reiterated three separate recommendations on EMRSs, which account for 47 per cent (Rs 7,088.60 billion) of the ministry’s 2025-26 budget: general application, schools still operating in leased premises, and upgrading of old schools established under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.
The committee said 720 EMRS were sanctioned against a target of 728, with locations approved for 722 schools. Of these, only 477 are operational and only 341 operate from their own buildings. The rest escape from rented or other government buildings, and the panel warned that these buildings “may not have the necessary infrastructure for a school.”
In its original report, the committee had flagged the low use of funds relative to the EMRS budget in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and cited the department’s admissions that land unavailability, recruitment issues, capacity building and digital learning gaps were hindering progress.
The ministry informed the panel that 99.98 per cent of the revised allocation of Rs 2,471.81 billion in 2023-24 and 99.34 per cent of the revised allocation of Rs 4,748.92 billion in 2024-25 have been utilized.
The report listed a series of remedial steps: from resolving 67 land issues and issuing approvals in 2024-25 to recruiting 9,878 staff through daily work monitoring, quality checks and an all-India examination.
While appreciating these measures, the committee said land unavailability is a “major issue” that needs to be resolved with state governments on a priority basis.
It has now taken a “strong view” that EMRS proposals from states should be considered “only if they ensure the availability of land required for this purpose in advance” and has asked the ministry to urgently deliberate on the issue and report back at the final action stage.
On the issue of EMRS still operating in leased or other government buildings, the ministry told the committee it had “taken note” of the observations and acknowledged that setting clear timelines and ensuring strict compliance was “critical” to make all schools functional.
The panel had earlier found that in the old EMRS, which was set up at Rs 5 billion per school under the earlier Article 275(1) scheme, most of these institutions were operating without basic facilities such as compound walls, laboratories, sports facilities, additional classrooms, staff rooms, hostel blocks and furniture. A survey identified 211 such schools for improvement, of which 167 were approved at that stage.
In its response, the ministry “acknowledged” the committee’s concerns and said proposals for the improvement of 192 out of 211 schools have now been approved by the National Society for Education of Tribal Students (NESTS).
Funds have been approved for states to plug infrastructure gaps and a “comprehensive assessment” is underway to identify further needs, with a plan to seek funding from the Ministry of Finance on par with the new EMRS. Also mentioned were the circulars and guidelines issued to enable state communities and schools to manage day-to-day decisions independently.
Welcoming these steps, the committee nevertheless warned that “without a specific timeframe, even the best intentions will lead to excessive delays” and said such systemic delays would “defeat the very purpose” of building the EMRS.
The Ministry was requested to set a clear timeline for the refurbishment of old schools, complete the ongoing assessment and inform the panel on both the assessment and timelines at the final action stage.
