Lok Sabha Question No. 2904 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Transferred/Mortgaged
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, MEENAKASHI LEKHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2904 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.3.2017 TRANSFERRED/MORTGAGED

## 2904. SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY: SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  literacy  rate  amongst  tribals  is  very  low  and  lack  of  literacy  amongst  tribal people has been identified as a major development problem;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  a  good  portion  of  the  land  in  tribal  areas  has  been  legally transferred/mortgaged to non-tribals;

- (d)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  help the  tribals regain their land;
- (e)  whether  various  schemes/programmes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  have  not significantly helped the tribals in raising their economic status; and

(f)   if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto along with the other steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JASWANTSINH  BHABHOR)

(a)& (b): Yes, Madam. As per Census 2011, there is a gap of about 14 percentage points in literacy rate of Scheduled Tribes (STs) as compared to all population.State / UT-wise literacy rates of all population and STs is given at Annexure1 .

For bridging the gap in literacy rate and to improve education leveland facilities for Scheduled Tribes, initiatives and schemes of Government of India are given at Annexure 2 .

(c)  &  (d):  Land  and  its  management  fall  under  the  exclusive  legislative  and  administrative jurisdiction of States as provided under the Constitution of India (Seventh Schedule  - List II (State List) - Entry No. (18). Therefore, State wise details are not maintained centrally. (e)  &  (f):  Various  schemes/  programmes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  have schemes  /

significantly helped the tribals in raising their economic  status. Details of programmes implemented byMinistry of Tribal Affairs in this regard are given at Annexure 3.

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## Annexure 1 referred to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Un-starred Question No. 2904 for 20.3.2017

Literacy Rates of All Population and Scheduled Tribes: Census 2011

| Sl. No   | State / UT               |   All |   Scheduled Tribes |
|----------|--------------------------|-------|--------------------|
|          | INDIA                    |  73   |               59   |
| 1        | Jammu &Kashmir           |  67.2 |               50.6 |
| 2        | Himachal Pradesh         |  82.8 |               73.6 |
| 3        | Uttarakhand              |  78.8 |               73.9 |
| 4        | Rajasthan                |  66.1 |               52.8 |
| 5        | Uttar Pradesh            |  67.7 |               55.7 |
| 6        | Bihar                    |  61.8 |               51.1 |
| 7        | Sikkim                   |  81.4 |               79.7 |
| 8        | Arunachal Pradesh        |  65.4 |               64.6 |
| 9        | Nagaland                 |  79.6 |               80   |
| 10       | Manipur                  |  76.9 |               72.6 |
| 11       | Mizoram                  |  91.3 |               91.5 |
| 12       | Tripura                  |  87.2 |               79.1 |
| 13       | Meghalaya                |  74.4 |               74.5 |
| 14       | Assam                    |  72.2 |               72.1 |
| 15       | West Bengal              |  76.3 |               57.9 |
| 16       | Jharkhand                |  66.4 |               57.1 |
| 17       | Odisha                   |  72.9 |               52.2 |
| 18       | Chhattisgarh             |  70.3 |               59.1 |
| 19       | Madhya Pradesh           |  69.3 |               50.6 |
| 20       | Gujarat                  |  78   |               62.5 |
| 21       | Daman &Diu               |  87.1 |               78.8 |
| 22       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |  76.2 |               61.9 |
| 23       | Maharashtra              |  82.3 |               65.7 |
| 24       | Telangana                |  66.5 |               49.5 |
| 25       | Andhra Pradesh           |  67.4 |               48.8 |
| 26       | Karnataka                |  75.4 |               62.1 |
| 27       | Goa                      |  88.7 |               79.1 |
| 28       | Lakshadweep              |  91.8 |               91.7 |
| 29       | Kerala                   |  94   |               75.8 |
| 30       | Tamil Nadu               |  80.1 |               54.3 |
| 31       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands |  86.6 |               75.6 |

Note: No Notified Scheduled Tribes in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, NCT of Delhi and Puducherry as in 2011.

## Annexure 2 referred to part (a)  &  (b)  of  Lok  Sabha  Un-starred  Question  No.  2904  for 20.3.2017

## I. Initiatives and Schemes of Ministry of Tribal Affairs

(i) Scheme of Girls & Boys Hostels for STs: Under the scheme, Central assistance is given to  States  /  UTs  /  Universities  for  construction  of  new  hostel  buildings  and  /  or  extension  of existing hostels. State Governments are eligible for 100% central share for construction of all Girls'  hostel  and  also  for  construction  of  Boys'  hostel  in  naxal  affected  areas.  The  funding pattern for other Boys' Hostel to State Governments is on 50:50 basis.

(ii) Scheme of Ashram Schools in Tribal Areas: The objective of the scheme is to provide residential schools for STs to increase the literacy rate among the tribal students and to bring them  at  par  with  other  population  of  the  country.  Under  the  scheme,  State  Governments  are eligible  for  100%  central  share  for  construction  of  all  Girls'  Ashram  Schools  and  also  for construction of Boys' Ashram Schools in naxal affected areas. The funding pattern for the other Boys' Ashram Schools is on 50:50 basis.

(iii) Scheme  for  Strengthening  Education  among  ST  Girls  in  Low  Literacy  Districts:  The scheme  aims  to  bridge  the  gap  in  literacy  levels  between  the  general  female  population  and tribal women, through facilitating 100% enrolment of tribal girls in the identified Districts or Blocks,  more  particularly  in  naxal  affected  areas  and  in  areas  inhabited  by  Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and reducing drop-outs at the elementary level by creating the required ambience for education.  Improvement of the literacy rate of tribal girls is essential to enable them to participate effectively in and benefit from, socio-economic development.

(iv) Ministry  releases  funds  under  Article  275(1)  of  the  Constitution  for  setting  up  of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). The objective of setting up these schools is to provide quality  education to  tribal  students  from  Class  VI  to  Class  XII.  This  may  eventually improve the academic performance and pursuit for higher education for them and would lead to higher employability and sustainable income.

(v) In  addition  to  above,  to  maximize  retention  of  ST  students  within  various  stages  of school education and promoting higher learning, monetary incentives are provided by Ministry of  Tribal  Affairs  in  the  form  of  scholarships  such  as  Pre  Matric  Scholarship,  Post  Matric Scholarship, National Overseas Scholarship, Scholarship for Top Class Education and National Fellowship for ST students.

(vi) As per Ministry of Tribal Affairs' Guidelines for Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan  (SCA  to  TSP)  and  grants  under  Article  275(1)  of  the  Constitution,  in  intra-State sectoral  activities  prioritization  and  allocation,  40%  to  50%  of  funds  are  to  be  allocated  for education.

(vii) Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  has  issued  advisories  to  States  for  a  series  of  measures  to address issues of dropout, and for facilitating education of tribal children including development of  Bilingual  Primers  containing  text  both  in  regional  and  tribal  language  but  in  local  official script;school  vacation  to  be  in  synchronization  with  major  tribal  festivals;residential  schools (200-300  students  capacity)  in  block  headquarters  for  quality  education  and  physical  safety; promotion  of  kitchen  garden  and  sports;school  management  to  engage  teachers  to  overcome shortage;100% physical enrolment of children, etc.

## II. Initiatives and Schemes of Ministry of Human Resource Development include the following:

(i)  The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) provides for free and compulsory elementary education to all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years including ST children. 109 special focus districts have been identified on the basis of the indicators like out of school children, high gender gap, low retention rate and infrastructure gap as well concentration of Scheduled Tribe population.

(ii)  The  National  Council  for  Education  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  in  the  National Curriculum Framework, 2005 (NCF) makes it clear that language and culture are important to all  children's  learning  including  Scheduled  Tribes.  SSA  aims  to  develop  context  specific interventions.

(iii) Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) scheme provides for residential schools for girls at upper primary level; a minimum of 75% seats are for minority, SC, ST and OBC girls. KGBVs cover 69% ST girls in ST Special Focus Districts.

(iv) SSA also supports provisions for textbooks to all children in Government / local body and Government aided schools andtwo sets of uniform to all girls, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) children and Below Poverty Line (BPL) children, wherever State Governments have incorporated provision of school uniforms as a child entitlement in their State RTE Rules.

(v) The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 under Section 29 states that wherever practicable children should be taught in their mother tongue. In the last few years  several  States  have  taken  initiatives  to  bridge  children  from  tribal  groups  speaking  a different language at home to transition to school language.

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## Annexure  3referred  to  part  (e)  &  (f)  of  Lok  Sabha  Un-starred  Question  No.  2904  for 20.3.2017

## Details of schemes / programmes implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs

(i)  Block  grants  under  Article  275(1)  of  the  Constitution  of  India  are  given  to  27  State Governments  for  tribal  welfare  in  the  areas  like  education,  health,  agriculture,  horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, dairy & others in primary sector, other income generating schemes to augment tribal household economy and administrative structure / institutional framework & research studies. The implementation is done by the State Governments.

(ii) Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) is 100% grant from Government of  India  to  23  States.  SCA  to  TSP  is  an  additive  to  State  Plan  funds  and  efforts  for  Tribal Development.

Objectives of SCA to TSP are:

- Human  resource  development  by  enhancing  their  access  to  education  and  health services.
- Enhanced  quality  of  life  by  providing  basic  amenities  in  tribal  areas  /  localities including housing (mostly to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ( PMAY) / State Schemes).
- Substantial reduction in poverty and unemployment, creation of productive assets and income generating opportunities.
- Enhanced capacity to avail opportunities, gain rights and entitlements and improved facilities at par with other areas, and
- Protection against exploitation and oppression.

(iii) The objective of Scheme 'Institutional Support for Development and Marketing of Tribal Products / Produce' is to create institutions for the Scheduled Tribes to support marketing and development of activities they depend on for their livelihood.  These are sought to be achieved by specific measures like (a) market intervention, (b) training and skill up-gradation of tribal Artisans, Craftsmen, MFP gatherers, etc., (c) Research &Development / Intellectual Property Rights activity, and (d) Supply chain infrastructure development.

(iv) The scheme, namely, 'Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price  (MSP)  and  Development  of  value  chain  for  MFP'  provides  Social Safety for MFP gatherers who are primarily Scheduled Tribes.  The scheme seeks to establish a system to ensure fair monetary returns to MFP gatherers for their efforts in collection, primary processing,  storage,  packaging,  transportation,  etc.,  of  the  designated  minor  forest  produce items available to them.

(v) The Scheme, titled 'Support to National / State Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporations' has also significantly helped the tribals in raising their economic and social status by improvement in their food habits, education, health care, self-reliance, etc.

(vi)  Scheme of Grant-in-aid to voluntary organizations working for the welfare of Scheduled Tribeswas launched in 1953-54 and was last revised w.e.f. 1 st April 2008.The prime objective of the  scheme  is  to  enhance  the  reach  of  welfare  schemes  of  Government  and  fill  the  gaps  in service  deficient  tribal  areas,  in  the  sectors  such  as  education,  health,  drinking  water,  agrohorticultural productivity, social security net etc. through the efforts of voluntary organizations, and to provide favourable environment for socio-economic upliftment and overall development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs).  Any other innovative activity having direct positive impact on the  socio-economic  development  or  livelihood  generation  of  STs  may  also  be  considered through voluntary efforts.  The scheme is Central Sector Scheme.  The grants are provided to the non-governmental organizations on application, in a prescribed format, duly recommended by  the  multi-disciplinary  State  Level  Committee  of  the  concerned  State  Government/UT Administration. Funds are generally provided to the extent of 90% by the Government.  The voluntary organization is expected to bear the remaining 10% balance from its own resources. (vii) Vocational Training in Tribal Areas: The main aim of the Scheme is to develop the skills of  the  ST  youth  for  a  variety  of  jobs  as  well  as  self-employment  and  to  improve  their socioeconomic condition by  enhancing their income.  The scheme covers all the State and Union Territories.  It is not an area-specific scheme, the condition being that free vocational training facilities are extended only to tribal youth. 100% grants under the scheme are provided to the State,  Union  Territories  and  other  Associations  implementing  the  Scheme.    Each  Vocational Training Centre (VTC) under the Scheme may cater to 5 vocational courses in traditional skills depending upon the employment potential of the area.  Keeping in view the limited potential of even skilled persons in interior areas, each ST boy/girl is trained in two trades of his/her choice, the course in each trade being for duration of three months.  Each trainee is to be attached at the end of six months to a master craftsman in a semi-urban/urban area for a period of six months, to learn his/her skills by practical experience.  The scheme has been revised with effect from 1.4.2009 to provide enhanced financial norms and to ensure linkages of vocational courses with recognized certificate/diploma through affiliation/accreditation of courses and institutions under Modular Employable Skills and Craftsman Training Scheme by National Council of Vocational Training of Ministry of Labour and Employment.

(viii)  Development  of  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  (PVTGs):  Since  PVTGs  are  the most vulnerable tribal community, it becomes necessary to allocate adequate funds from Central Sector/  Centrally  Sponsored  and  State  Plan  schemes  for  the  socio-economic  development  of PVTGs.    In 1998-99, a separate 100% Central Sector Scheme for exclusive development of PVTGs was started, and the scheme was revised w.e.f. 1 st April, 2015.  The scheme covers 75 identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups among Scheduled Tribes in 18 States/ UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  The scheme is flexible as it enables the States to focus on areas that they consider is relevant to PVTGs and their socio-cultural environment. Activities under it include housing, land distribution, land development, agricultural development, animal husbandry,  construction  of  link  roads,  installation  of  non-conventional  sources  of  energy  for lighting  purpose,  social  security  including  JanshreeBeema  Yojana  or  any  other  innovative activity  meant  for  the  comprehensive  socio-economic  development  of  PVTGs.    Most  of  the State  Governments  and  the  UT  of  A&N  Islands  have  formulated  a  'Conversation-cumDevelopment  (CCD)  Plan'  for  the  Twelfth  Plan  period  keeping  habitat/hamlet  development approach in view and in the format prescribed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The CCD Plans indicate  the  annual  provisions  for  each  financial  year  and  also  the  agency  involved  in implementation of that activity.  The State Government/UT Administration have been asked to ensure  proportionate  flow  of  financial  resource  for  all  PVTGs  found  in  their  State  and  the activities to be taken with a proper mix of interventions through the State/UT of A&N Islands. The funds are released to States/UT in accordance with the annual programme proposed for a particular financial year in the CCD Plan.

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