EMRS Kala Utsav 2023:  Minister Arjun Munda inaugurates

EMRS Kala Utsav

EMRS Kala Utsav 2023:  Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda inaugurated the 4th EMRS National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav- 2023, in the presence of Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, at Dehradun on 3rd October, 2023. The event has been organized by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) under Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and hosted by Eklavya Vidyalaya Sangathan Samiti (EVSS), Uttarakhand at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun.

The Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Cultural Fest provides tribal students a national platform to showcase their hidden talents in different spheres. The four-day event (3rd – 6th October) this year would witness performances from over 2000 tribal students from 22 States. 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.

On the occasion, Shri Arjun Munda noted 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.”

Shri Pushkar Singh 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. During inaugural ceremony, Dr. Naval Jit Kapoor, Joint Secretary M/o Tribal Affairs and Commissioner, NESTS briefed about the EMRS scheme. The inaugural ceremony was marked with spectacular cultural performances from tribal communities of Uttarakhand and students of EMRS.

The ‘EMRS National Cultural Fest’ is 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.