Eklavya Model Residential Schools

Free residential schools for Scheduled Tribe students, on the Navodaya model, funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

National Education Society for Tribal Students, Ministry of Tribal Affairs · India

Open now, no closing date announced

Admission is through a national selection test, generally held for Class 6 entry with notifications early in the calendar year.

Why this one matters

Free education, boarding, meals and uniforms for tribal children, in districts where the alternative is often no secondary school within reach. It is the least publicised of the central residential school systems and therefore the least applied for relative to the seats available.

What it covers

tuition, boarding, meals, books, uniform. Levels funded: higher secondary.

Who can apply

You must be a citizen of India
Limited to these categories: ST

Where applications fail

Most rejected applications are not ineligible students. They are eligible students who missed a step.

Eligibility requires a Scheduled Tribe certificate, and obtaining one can take weeks. Start that before the notification appears, not after.
Schools are located in tribal-majority blocks, so the school you are eligible for may not be the one nearest your home.
Notification timing varies by state and is not well publicised. The district tribal welfare office usually knows before any website does.

If this one is not for you

Being ruled out of a scheme is not the same as having no options. Here is what is still open.

Not from a Scheduled Tribe? Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are open to all categories and free from Class 6 to 8.
No ST certificate yet? Apply for it at the tehsil or MRO office now. It is required for several scholarships as well, so the effort is not wasted.

Record status: needs_verification. Last checked: not yet. Deadlines and amounts appear only once confirmed. Source: https://tribal.nic.in/

Check whether you qualify