Emerging from remote tribal villages across India, 597 students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) cleared the highly competitive JEE Main, JEE Advanced, and NEET exams in 2024-25—a remarkable surge from just 2 students in 2022-23. This achievement demonstrates how targeted educational support is transforming lives and providing opportunities to Scheduled Tribe students in India’s most underserved communities. Among the 230 EMRS schools offering Class 12, 101 have students who successfully cleared these prestigious examinations.
One shining example is Jatin Negi from Sangla village in Himachal Pradesh’s Baspa Valley. Despite growing up in a remote Himalayan village that faces harsh winters and frequent power outages, he cleared JEE Advanced with an All-India Rank of 421 and is now studying B.Tech at IIT Jodhpur.
Padvi Urjasviben Amrutbhai from Khapatia, Gujarat, who studied at EMRS Bartad and cleared the NEET exam, is also a stellar example of the power of education and hard work for empowerment and fulfilling one’s dreams. She is set to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor and is now pursuing MBBS at the GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Junagadh.
Their stories capture the life-changing opportunities created by Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
EMRS Students Who Cleared IIT-JEE Mains, JEE-Advanced & NEET (2024-25)
S.No.
State
JEE Mains
JEEAdvanced
NEET
1
Andhra Pradesh
17
1
0
2
Chhattisgarh
17
3
18
3
Gujarat
37
3
173
4
Himachal Pradesh
3
1
7
5
Jharkhand
6
0
0
6
Karnataka
7
0
0
7
Madhya Pradesh
51
10
115
8
Maharashtra
7
2
7
9
Odisha
10
4
0
10
Telangana
60
10
24
11
Uttar Pradesh
1
0
0
12
Uttarakhand
3
0
0
TOTAL
219
34
344
Year-over-Year Performance Comparison (Last 3 Academic Years)
Year
IIT-JEE
NEET
2024–2025
219
344
2023–2024
16
6
2022–2023
2
–
What are IIT-JEE and NEET Exams?
Indian Institutes of Technology are prestigious institutions offering engineering and technological education. The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a national-level engineering entrance exam conducted in two stages – JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main is a screening exam that selects candidates who will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced, which selects candidates for admission to the IITs. There are 23 IITs in India.
The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a common and uniform exam for admission to undergraduate medical education in all medical institutions across India.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools
Established by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) impart quality education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, enabling them to access opportunities in higher and professional education and secure employment in various sectors.
There are 485 functional EMRS schools in the country with 1,38,336 students enrolled in 2024-25. Overall, a total of 722 schools is sanctioned and Rs. 68,418 lakhs released for the schools.
The grants provided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to the state governments under Article 275(1) of the Constitution are meant for the construction of schools and for meeting their recurring expenses. The provision guarantees grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of India each year for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes.
