CHENNAI: Nearly every fifth student who passed out of government schools run by the Tamil Nadu Tribal Welfare Department has managed to secure admission to reputable higher education institutions located across the country this year.
As many as 261 students have secured admissions to institutions such as NIFT, NIT, National Law University, and Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET) this year, compared to 153 students in 2025.
What makes the achievement even more noteworthy is that the total number of students graduating from tribal schools has broadly remained the same in the last two years, but the number of students entering such marquee institutes has gone up nearly 70%. The 261 students account for 19.3% of the 1,350 tribal students who entered higher education this year.
Overall, 1,350 of the 1,424 students who passed Class 12 from tribal welfare schools have entered higher education, taking the enrolment rate to 95%, according to the department. The students have secured admission to courses in engineering, law, fashion, food technology, tourism, hospitality and forensic sciences, among others.
13 tribal students joined NIFT, 6 NIT-Tiruchy
Officials attributed the increase in admissions to efforts to familiarise students with higher education opportunities and entrance examinations. The Class 12 students were provided details of 42 entrance examinations and encouraged to apply for courses based on their interests.
Of the 261 students, 64 have joined the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management and 53 have joined CIPET. Another 13 have secured admission to the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and six to NIT Tiruchy.
Two students each have joined the National Law University and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), while one each has joined NIT Puducherry and the Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru, officials said.
The department is also following up with students after admission to ensure that they continue their courses. Before joining their institutions, students are also provided residential training in soft skills, including spoken English, and department officials maintain regular contact with them to monitor their academic progress and fee payments.
“There is regular follow-up from the department every month to check whether I can keep up with the course. They also follow up to ensure that my fees are paid on time and are ready to provide any additional support if required. However, I have not needed any additional assistance so far,” said A Rajeswari, the first student from a tribal welfare department-run school to join IIT Madras, where she is pursuing aerospace engineering.
The department further conducts counselling for parents who are hesitant to send their children outside their districts or tribal areas. The officials explain to the parents about the opportunities available at reputed institutions and the support extended to students.
Last year, 1,330 of the 1,444 students who passed Class 12 (92%) entered higher education. Of them, 541 joined arts and science courses, 143 engineering and technology courses, 65 medicine-related courses, 28 business administration courses, 22 ITIs and 12 agriculture-related courses.
The rise in higher education enrolment comes alongside a steady improvement in Class 12 results in tribal welfare schools. The pass percentage increased from 86% in 2022 to 94.82% in 2023, 95.15% in 2024, 95.50% in 2025 and 97.33% this year, an increase of more than 11 percentage points in four years.
261 students got admission
As many as 261 tribal school students have secured admissions to reputable institutions this year, compared to 153 students in 2025