Agartala, October 9, 2025: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday underscored the importance of preserving indigenous culture and traditions through education while inaugurating a new Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) at Pravapur, Jampuijala in Sepahijala district. The modern residential school has been constructed at a cost of ₹28.54 crore.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dr. Saha said, “After completing their education in Eklavya Model Residential Schools, Janajati students will become ambassadors of their rich socio-cultural heritage and play a vital role in preserving their language and culture.”

Highlighting the Centre’s commitment to empowering tribal communities, the Chief Minister noted that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, special focus was laid on establishing EMRSs across the country to provide quality education to tribal students. “During the Mughal and British periods, efforts were made to suppress our culture and traditions. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working to revive those lost traditions,” Dr. Saha stated.

The Chief Minister informed that of the 21 sanctioned EMRSs in Tripura, 12—including the newly inaugurated one—are already operational. Six more are expected to be completed by March 2026, and the remaining three within the next two years. Currently, 2,475 Janajati students—1,189 boys and 1,286 girls—are enrolled in the EMRSs, and once all schools are functional, over 10,000 students will benefit.

Tribal Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma, MLA Manab Debbarma, former MLA Birendra Kishore Debbarma, and Sepahijala District Magistrate Dr. Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal were present at the event.

According to official sources, EMRSs provide free, high-quality education to Scheduled Tribe and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group students from Classes VI to XII, following the CBSE curriculum and the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya model. Each school has facilities including academic blocks, separate hostels, kitchen-dining units, staff quarters, and warden residences. The Pravapur EMRS, sanctioned in 2018–19 under Article 275(1), was constructed by the Tripura Housing & Construction Board and completed on September 15, 2025.