Kothagudem: Compared even to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes are much more backward. They cannot compete with others and not even with the other marginalised communities. So it is important to make space and open the doors for them to enter the domain of democratic benefits such as getting top babu jobs, experts feel.
To achieve this aim, the government has started sanctioning Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) to provide quality middle and high level education. Five EMRS schools were sanctioned in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. It is found that only one Grade-I officer in both Khammam and Bhadradri districts are from kondareddy, which is considered a primitive Adivasi tribe. Though there are other sects in the Scheduled tribes, the adivasis living in and around forests, were lagging behind at the competitive level in getting government jobs.
The koya, kondareddy, chenchu and other Adivasi sects are struggling to come out of their traditional backgrounds. Most of the youth from these communities have been confined to small jobs of attenders and junior assistants. One hardly finds an IAS or Group-I officers from these sects, sources said.
It is felt that these EMR schools would help the youth of these sects to come out from their social taboo. “The government wants not only to enable them to avail reservation in professional educational courses but also jobs in the government, public and private sectors. Having access to the best opportunities in education on par with the non-ST population will help them a lot,” an official said.
Comprehensive physical, mental and socially relevant development of all students enrolled in EMRS would empower them to be change agents, in their schools, homes, villages and finally in a larger context, sources said.
“The Union government will support the annual expenses in a manner that offers reasonable remuneration to the staff apart for providing infrastructure in the EMRS,” the official said. The main focus would be on the students from Class VI to XII. The distinctive needs of the students would be taken care by the government, he added.
