Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda inaugurated the 4th EMRS National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav- 2023 on 3rd October, 2023 at Dehradun.
Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami also attended the event. The event is being 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 inaugural ceremony was marked with spectacular cultural performances from tribal communities of Uttarakhand and students of EMRS.
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.
In his address, Munda 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. 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.”
CM 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’ 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.