New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has pulled up the Tribal Affairs Ministry over delays in setting up tribal freedom fighters’ museums and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), warning that the absence of clear timelines and preconditions for states could lead to further cost escalation and defeat the purpose of flagship schemes.
In a report on action taken by the government on its recommendations, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment said it was “not satisfied” with the ministry’s replies on the slow progress in the work on 11 tribal freedom fighters’ museums and on gaps in EMRS infrastructure and decided to reiterate four recommendations on these issues.
The report, presented to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, showed that out of 14 recommendations made earlier, nine have been accepted by the government, one has been closed without further pursuit and four relating to tribal freedom fighters’ museums and EMRS expansion and upgradation have been returned to the ministry for fresh action.
The committee said it appreciated the government’s decision to support 11 tribal freedom fighters’ museums in 10 states to celebrate the lives of tribal heroes “often under-represented in the mainstream history”, but underlined “slow progress” on the ground.
Only three museums — Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Freedom Fighter Museum in Ranchi, Badal Bhoi State Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum in Chhindwara and Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah Freedom Fighter Museum in Jabalpur — have been inaugurated so far.
The remaining eight museums, sanctioned as far back as 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Gujarat and Mizoram, are yet to be completed, while projects sanctioned in Kerala, Manipur and Goa in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 are still at the detailed project report (DPR) stage despite the passage of several years.
The committee had earlier asked the ministry to ensure that four museums scheduled for completion by November 2025 and one by May 2026 are finished within the stipulated time.
In its action taken reply, the ministry cited state responsibility for land, tenders, project management and construction and listed steps such as site visits, review meetings and consultations with experts.
However, the panel said it was “not satisfied” as the ministry had failed to give a categorical assurance that the five museums would be completed on time.
On EMRSs, which account for 47 per cent of the ministry’s 2025-26 budget (Rs 7,088.60 crore), the panel reiterated three separate recommendations: on overall implementation, on schools still functioning from rented premises and on upgradation of old schools established under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.
The committee said that 720 EMRS have been sanctioned against a target of 728, with locations approved for 722 schools. Of these, only 477 are functional and just 341 are operating from their own buildings. The rest are running from rented or other government buildings, which, the panel warned, “may be lacking required infrastructure for a school”.
In its original report, the committee had flagged low fund utilisation against the EMRS budget in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and cited ministry admissions that non-availability of land, recruitment issues, capacity building and digital learning gaps were hampering progress.
The ministry informed the panel that 99.98 per cent of the revised allocation of Rs 2,471.81 crore in 2023-24 and 99.34 per cent of the revised allocation of Rs 4,748.92 crore in 2024-25 were utilised.
It listed a series of corrective steps: from resolving 67 land issues in 2024-25 and streamlining approvals to daily labour monitoring, quality checks and recruitment of 9,878 staff through an all-India exam.
While appreciating these measures, the committee said that the non-availability of land is an “important issue” that must be sorted out on priority with state governments.
It has now taken a “strong view” that future EMRS proposals from states should be considered “only when they ensure beforehand, the availability of land required for the purpose”, and has asked the ministry to deliberate on this issue urgently and report back at the final action taken stage.
On the question of EMRS still operating from rented or other government buildings, the ministry told the committee that it “takes note” of the observations and agrees that setting clear timelines and ensuring strict adherence is “critical” for making all schools functional.
On old EMRS established under the earlier Article 275(1) scheme at Rs 5 crore per school, the panel had earlier found that many of these institutions were functioning without basic facilities such as compound walls, laboratories, sports facilities, additional classrooms, staff quarters, hostel blocks and furniture. A survey had identified 211 such schools for upgradation, of which 167 had been approved at that stage.
In its reply, the ministry “acknowledged” the committee’s concerns and said proposals for the upgradation of 192 out of 211 schools have now been approved by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS).
Funds have been sanctioned to states to bridge infrastructure gaps, and a “comprehensive assessment” is underway to identify further needs, with a plan to seek funding on par with new EMRS from the Finance Ministry. It also cited circulars and guidelines issued to empower state societies and schools to manage day-to-day decisions independently.
Welcoming these steps, the committee nevertheless warned that “without a specific timeframe, even the best of intentions result in inordinate delays”, and said such systemic delays would “defeat the very purpose” of constructing EMRS.
It asked the ministry to set a clear timeline for revamping old schools, complete the ongoing assessment and inform the panel of both the assessment and the timelines at the final action taken stage.
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