Brinda Karat Criticizes Central Recruitment for Tribal Schools

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has condemned the centralization of teacher recruitment for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) as “deeply flawed.” In a letter to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Karat argued that the policy disregards the linguistic and cultural needs of Adivasi students, requiring teachers to be proficient in Hindi and English, but not in local languages.

She highlighted the disparity in Telangana, where out of 47 appointees, 44 were from Haryana, illustrating the mismatch between the recruitment criteria and local requirements. Karat emphasized that local recruitment is essential for preserving the educational and cultural integrity of tribal students, urging a reversal of the policy to ensure teachers are familiar with the students’ languages and cultural contexts.