The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) under Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with The Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) kick started the four-day 4th EMRS National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav- 2023 at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun on October 3.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda inaugurated the mega event in presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami. The fest will witness performances from over 2000 tribal students from 22 States for four days (Oct 3-6). The inaugural ceremony was marked with spectacular cultural performances from tribal communities of Uttarakhand and students of EMRS. More than 20 events will be organized in this fest, from dance and song performances to quiz and visual arts etc. Stalls from different States have been arranged to showcase tribal cultural displays.
The union minister speaking on the occasion said that such events provide an opportunity for children and teachers of EMRS to meet each other, understand and learn about the cultures of different provinces of the country fulfilling the vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said, “I believe that such programmes will inspire you and give you a good opportunity to know about your own culture as well as the rich traditions of the tribal communities living in different corners of the country.” Dhami highlighted diverse traditions and culture of the tribals in Uttarakhand and various government schemes run for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes in the State.
The ‘EMRS National Cultural Fest’ the most awaited event every year for tribal students pursuing education in the EMRSs. NESTS has been running EMRSs for Scheduled Tribes across India. EMRS Scheme is one of the flagship interventions of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and was revamped in the year 2018-19 to ensure that tribal students get access to quality education in the remote tribal areas.
