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Tribal women in Maharashtra take charge of residential school maintenance

March 01, 2026 6 min read Social Issues Economics GS1 (Society Tribal Communities) GS2 (Social Justice Government Schemes)
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What Happened

  • The Maharashtra state Tribal Development Department, in partnership with UNICEF and CYDA (Centre for Youth Development and Activities), is training 120 tribal women to manage water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in residential schools across Maharashtra
  • The initiative — called "Adisakhi" — equips tribal women with skills to maintain hygiene infrastructure, manage safe drinking water systems, and ensure sanitation standards in government-run residential schools serving tribal students
  • The programme simultaneously addresses two objectives: improving WASH conditions in tribal residential schools (where hygiene-linked health problems are common) and creating livelihood opportunities for tribal women through a skills-based entrepreneurial model
  • The rural entrepreneurship angle: trained women become service providers for school maintenance — earning income while performing a specialized function the government school administration previously lacked capacity for
  • This reflects a broader state government strategy to integrate tribal women into sustainable livelihoods through targeted skill development rather than purely through welfare transfers

Static Topic Bridges

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Tribal Education Infrastructure

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are government-run residential schools for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas, mandated under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. They aim to provide quality education from Class 6 to Class 12 comparable to Navodaya Vidyalayas, specifically targeting tribal communities in Scheduled Areas and remote regions.

  • Scheme: Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS); launched 1997-98; nodal ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  • Mandate: One EMRS in each block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 ST persons (as per revised guidelines); each school to have at least 480 students
  • Scale: 740 EMRS sanctioned across India as of recent estimates; Maharashtra has a significant number given its sizeable tribal population (approximately 10.5% of state population are STs per Census 2011)
  • Infrastructure: Schools are residential (boarding + lodging + food + education); tribal government bears full cost for ST students
  • WASH challenge: Many EMRS and other tribal ashram schools (state-run equivalents) suffer from poor sanitation, irregular drinking water supply, and inadequate hygiene — directly linked to high dropout rates, illness, and malnutrition among tribal residential students
  • Maharashtra's ashram schools: The state runs both centrally-funded EMRS and state-funded Ashram Schools (under Maharashtra's Tribal Development Department); Maharashtra has over 500 state Ashram Schools in addition to EMRS

Connection to this news: The Adisakhi initiative directly addresses the WASH deficiency in Maharashtra's tribal residential schools by creating a trained cadre of women maintainers — a community-based solution to an infrastructure management problem.

Fifth Schedule, PESA Act, and Tribal Governance

India's constitutional framework provides distinct governance arrangements for tribal (Scheduled Tribe) populations through the Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Constitution. Maharashtra has significant Scheduled Area coverage under the Fifth Schedule.

  • Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)): Provides for special administration of "Scheduled Areas" (tribal areas in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram); applicable in 10 states including Maharashtra; Governor has special powers including the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC)
  • Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)): Applies only to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram; provides for autonomous district councils with legislative and judicial powers — distinct from and more extensive than Fifth Schedule
  • PESA Act, 1996 (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act): Enacted December 24, 1996; extends Part IX of the Constitution (Gram Panchayat framework) to Fifth Schedule areas with modifications; recognises the traditional governance role of Gram Sabhas; empowers tribal Gram Sabhas over natural resources, minor forest produce, land acquisition, and social welfare
  • PESA applies to 10 states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan
  • Tribal Development Department (TDD) Maharashtra: State-level department responsible for tribal welfare, education (ashram schools), economic development, and implementation of central tribal schemes; the Adisakhi initiative is a TDD programme
  • Constitutional basis for tribal welfare: Article 46 (DPSP) — State shall promote educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections; Article 275(1) — Grants to states for promoting welfare of STs in Scheduled Areas

Connection to this news: The Adisakhi initiative is an expression of Article 46 and the broader Fifth Schedule governance framework — the Tribal Development Department acting within its constitutional mandate to promote tribal women's economic and educational welfare.

Women's Empowerment and Rural Entrepreneurship — NRLM and Self-Help Group Architecture

India's flagship programme for rural women's livelihoods is the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) — now known as DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - NRLM). The Adisakhi model of tribal women as service providers for school maintenance aligns with the NRLM approach of creating community-owned enterprises through skill development.

  • DAY-NRLM: Launched 2011 (restructured from Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, SGSY); nodal ministry: Ministry of Rural Development; budget: ₹15,000+ crore annually; targets 10 crore rural poor households through Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
  • SHG model: Groups of 10-20 women mobilized for savings, credit, and livelihoods; linked to bank credit; government provides capacity building and revolving fund; Maharashtra has one of the largest SHG networks (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal — MAVIM manages SHGs in tribal districts)
  • Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY): Maharashtra state scheme providing concessional loans up to ₹2 lakhs at 4% interest to tribal women for income-generating activities
  • TRIFED and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras: TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) under Ministry of Tribal Affairs; Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) aggregate tribal Minor Forest Produce (MFP), add value, and market — an enterprise model for tribal self-employment
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA): Recognises individual and community forest rights of ST and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs); Community Forest Rights (CFR) provisions allow tribal communities to manage and sell forest produce — an income source for tribal women
  • Skill development for tribal women: PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampanna Hitgrahi Yojana) — Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment scheme for skill training of marginalized communities including STs

Connection to this news: The Adisakhi initiative is a hybrid model — combining skill development (training in WASH management), public institution service provision (residential schools), and women's empowerment (tribal women as paid service providers). This goes beyond pure welfare into economic agency, aligning with DAY-NRLM's community enterprise philosophy.

Key Facts & Data

  • Initiative name: Adisakhi (Maharashtra Tribal Development Department + UNICEF + CYDA)
  • Target: 120 tribal women trained in WASH management for residential schools
  • Maharashtra ST population: approximately 10.5% of state population (Census 2011); 77 scheduled tribes in Maharashtra
  • EMRS sanctioned nationally: 740 schools
  • PESA Act enacted: December 24, 1996 (applicable in 10 states including Maharashtra)
  • Fifth Schedule states with PESA coverage: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan
  • AMSY loan limit: ₹2 lakhs at 4% interest for tribal women
  • DAY-NRLM: Launched 2011; targets 10 crore households via SHGs
  • Article 244(1): Fifth Schedule provision; Article 244(2): Sixth Schedule provision
  • FRA 2006: Recognises tribal forest rights — individual and community
  • Van Dhan Vikas Kendras: Managed by TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs