ASER Centre and Pratham Education Foundation collaborated with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI), Government of Odisha to conduct a research study in the five tribal districts of Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Gajapati, Malkangiri and Rayagada in Odisha from February to April 2022 .

The study focuses on understanding the status of children in terms of enrollment, learning, and learning opportunities during the pandemic, and provides recommendations for the way forward. One strand of the study uses the ASER survey process to understand the schooling and learning status of children aged 5-16 in a random sample of 40 villages per district, while a second strand comprises a more detailed look into 50 randomly sampled residential schools that are operated in these districts by the SC & ST Development Department, Odisha.