Why In News?

TALASH has been in the news recently because it was officially launched on July 10, 2025, by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) in partnership with UNICEF India, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

What is TALASH?

• TALASH stands for Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills, and Self-Esteem Hub

• It’s a digital learning platform designed especially for tribal students studying in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

• It helps students discover their strengths, interests, and goals

• Focuses on their personal growth, not just academics

• Launched by NESTS in partnership with UNICEF India

• Supported by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India

Goals of TALASH:

• Develop self-confidence and help students understand who they are

• Guide students in making right career choices based on their talents

• Teach important life skills like how to manage emotions, talk confidently, and make decisions

• Train teachers so they can give the right kind of support and mentoring to students

What TALASH Offers:

1. Psychometric Testing

• Uses NCERT’s Tamanna model to test student aptitude and interests

• Students receive Career Cards that show the types of jobs and fields they might enjoy or succeed in

• Helps students understand their natural abilities and plan ahead

2. Career Counselling

• Explains different career paths and options available after school

• Matches students’ skills, passions, and goals to suggest suitable careers

• Aims to make career planning clear and stress-free

3. Life Skills and Self-Esteem Training

• Teaches how to handle real-life situations confidently

• Focus on building resilience, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and self-worth

• Helps students grow into well-rounded, emotionally strong individuals

4. Teacher Training Support

• A dedicated online portal is used to train EMRS teachers

• Already trained 189 teachers from 75 EMRSs

• Encourages a peer-learning system, where trained teachers help others improve too

• Teachers become better mentors and career guides

5. National Rollout Plan

• Program will reach 1.38 lakh+ tribal students in all 28 States and 8 Union Territories by end of 2025

• Started with city-level pilot projects to test and improve the platform

• Focus is on smooth and inclusive implementation across India

Why TALASH Matters:

• Gives tribal students access to modern, personalised learning tools

• Fills the gaps between what students study and what they really need for life

• Encourages self-belief, ambition, and clarity about the future

• Directly supports the NEP 2020 vision of making learning more inclusive, holistic, and student-focused

• Helps students in even the most remote tribal areas reach their full potential

About Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS):

• EMRSs are fully residential schools for Scheduled Tribe (ST) children

• The scheme was introduced in 1997-98, with the goal of enabling tribal students to access high-level education and employment opportunities.

• Offer free education from Class VI to XII, including boarding and other facilities

• Focused on providing quality education to tribal students so they’re not left behind

• Funded through Article 275(1) of the Constitution

  • Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India guarantees grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of India each year for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes. Infrastructure development schemes like protected drinking water, road connectivity, electricity and housing are provided under this scheme.

About NESTS:

• National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) was set up in 2019

• Works under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

• Main job is to run and manage EMRS schools across India

• Ensures tribal students get access to good education, proper support, and equal opportunities.