The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, on Friday clarified that recent media reports suggesting the selection of candidates with low or negative marks in the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Staff Selection Exam (SSE) 2025 recruitment process are misleading and factually incorrect.
In a statement issued after the declaration of Tier-1 results, NESTS said the examination follows a two-tier selection process and that Tier-1 is only a screening and qualifying stage, not the basis for final selection. ESSE-2025 was notified for recruitment to 7,267 teaching and non-teaching posts across Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
The Tier-1 examination, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in December 2025, is meant solely to shortlist candidates for Tier-2. As per the recruitment notification, candidates are shortlisted in a 1:10 ratio for each post, and the cut-off is determined by the number of candidates required to advance, not by suitability for appointment.
NESTS explained that the marking scheme, including negative marking, was clearly specified in the ESSE-2025 notification. Low or negative cut-offs at the screening stage, it said, only reflect relative performance in a competitive examination and do not indicate selection or dilution of recruitment standards.
Emphasising that final selection is based exclusively on Tier-2 performance, NESTS said the second stage is subject-specific and evaluative, and for certain posts also includes an interview. For the post of Principal, candidates must clear both the Tier-2 examination and an interview to ensure professional competence.
The Society added that candidates must secure minimum qualifying marks in Tier-2 – 30 per cent for General category and 25 per cent for SC/ST/Divyang candidates – failing which they are automatically disqualified, regardless of their Tier-1 scores.
Addressing reports highlighting salary details, NESTS clarified that the pay levels cited are standard government scales and become applicable only after candidates successfully complete all stages of recruitment.
Reiterating that the ESSE-2025 recruitment is being conducted in a transparent, rule-based and merit-driven manner, NESTS urged media organisations to verify facts before publication to avoid misleading the public.
