Lok Sabha Question No. 2826 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Literacy in Tribals
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM, PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2826 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2017

## LITERACY IN TRIBALS

## 2826.   SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM: SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total literacy rate in  the  country  and  percentage  of  literacy  amongst  tribal communities in the country, State/ UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has ascertained the factors affecting expansion of education in tribal dominated areas and if so, the details and findings thereof;
- (c) whether  any  scheme  has  been  formulated/proposed  to  be  formulated  for  improving educational standards and facilities in the tribal dominated areas in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  to  improve  the  literacy  rate  among  tribals  in  the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a):As per Census 2011, literacy rate of all population and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the country is 73% and 59%, respectively.  State/UT-wise literacy rates are given in Annexure 1 .

(b): Tribals in most parts of the country live in hilly and forest areas with poor roads and other means  of  communication.  They  live  mostly  in  scattered  homesteads  rather  than  villages  or mohallas,  which  makes  it  difficult  to  provide  access  to  schools  within  short  distance  for  all students.  Teachers  from  non-tribal  areas  are  often  reluctant  to  work  in  schools  in  tribal  areas because of distance from towns, lack of housing and other amenities. Teachers from other areas are  also  not  familiar  with  local  tribal  languages  and  dialects  and  are  not  able  to  communicate effectively  with  tribal  students,  particularly  in  lower  primary  sections.  Tribal  students  face difficulties in following prescribed text books which are not in their mother tongue, particularly when the content is not appropriately designed for them. Enrolment rate of tribal children is lower, and drop-out rate is higher than others.

(c)& (d): Details of initiatives and schemes of Government of India for improving educational standards and facilities for Scheduled Tribes are given at Annexure 2 .

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## Annexure 1 referred to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2826 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  (c)&  (d)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  2826  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  andalso  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  Constitutionfor  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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