Lok Sabha Question No. 3191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Education to Tribal Community
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3191

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 20/03/2023

## EDUCATION TO TRIBAL COMMUNITY

3191. SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking steps to encourage education among tribal community;
- (b) if so, the details of schemes implemented for the same between 2019-2022;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  opened  education  institute  for  skill  development  for  the tribals in the country;
- (d) if so, the details of the number of institutes opened during the last 3 years; and
- (e) if not, whether the Government plans to open such institutes in the near future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

- (a) to (e): Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been implementing the following schemes/programmes to encourage and  promote  education  among  tribal  community  across the country:
- (i) Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS): In the year 2019, the scheme of EMRS was carved  out  from  Grants  under  Article  275(1)  as  a  separate  Central  Sector  Scheme  and National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous society under the Ministry, was established to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS. Ministry has set the  target  to  establish  740  EMRSs  across  the  country  in  the  blocks  with  50%  or  more  ST population  and  at  least  20,000  tribal  persons.  As  on  14.03.2023,  a  total  number  of  690 EMRSs have been sanctioned out of which 401 EMRSs are functional with 1,13,275 students enrolled during 2022-23.
- (ii) Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution: It is a 100% grant from Government of  India.  Funding  under  this  programme  is  to  enable  the  State  to  meet  the  cost  of  such schemes of development as may be undertaken by the State for the purpose of promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes in that State for raising the level of administration of Scheduled Areas therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State. Government has  adopted  a  multi-pronged  strategy  for  overall  development  of  tribal  people  across  the

country,  which  includes  various  sectors  viz.  (i) Education (ii)  Health  (iii)  Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry (AH), Fisheries, Dairy & others in Primary Sector (iv) Other income  generating  schemes  to  augment  Tribal  household  economy  and  (v)  Administrative structure / Institutional framework & Research studies.

(iii)  National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students: This a Central Sector Scheme implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs with the following two sub-Schemes:

1. National Scholarship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students (earlier known as Top Class  Scholarship  Scheme):  Under  this  Scheme,  Scholarship  is  provided  for  pursuing Graduate/Post Graduate courses in the selected top-class Government and Non-Government Institutes  in  professional  fields  such  as  Management,  Medicine,  Engineering,  Information Technology, Law etc. All the ST students, with annual parental income of less than 6 lakhs per annum and studying in the 252 such notified institutes are eligible to receive scholarship.

2. National Fellowship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students: It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully  funded  by  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  to  grant  scholarship  to  meritorious  ST students for pursuing M.Phil or Ph.D in India after completion of Master degree. The total number  of  fresh  fellowships  for  M.Phil/M.Phil+PhD/Ph.D  every  year  will  be  750.  ST students  with  a  minimum  of  55%  marks  in  Master  Degree  up  to  the  age  of  36  years  are eligible to apply for fellowship under the Scheme. The value of fellowship is at par with UGC rates.

(iv) National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) to the ST Students for Studies Abroad: Under the  Scheme,  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  20  ST  students  for  pursuing  higher  studies abroad whose annual parental income of less than 6 lakhs per annum.

(v)  Aid  to  Voluntary  Organizations  working  for  the  welfare  of  Scheduled  Tribes: Ministry has been funding voluntary organizations working for welfare of STs in tribal Hilly, remote and border areas to address existing infrastructural gaps in these areas in education sector.

(vi)  Pre-  Matric  Scholarship: Pre-Matric  Scholarship  Scheme  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme under which financial assistance is provided to ST students studying in classes IX and X.

(vii)  Post  Matric  Scholarship :  Post-Matric  Scholarship  Scheme  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme under which financial assistance is provided to ST students studying beyond class X.

(viii) The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), a  PSU  under  the  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs,  extends  concessional  loans  under  the  Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY), this is an Education loan scheme to enable the tribal students to  meet  expenditure  for  pursuing  technical  and  professional  education  including  Ph.D.  in India. Under this scheme, the Corporation provides financial assistance upto Rs.10 lakh per eligible  family.  The  students  are  eligible  for  interest  subsidy  from  Ministry  of  Education, Government  of  India,  during  the  moratorium  period  i.e.  course  period  plus  one  year  after completion of course or six months after getting the job, whichever is earlier.

Besides,  other  Ministries/Departments  also  run  schemes  with  their  share  of  grants  under Scheduled  Tribe  Component  (STC)  for  various  developmental  programmes  including promoting education among ST community. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  is  the  nodal  ministry  for  coordination  with  all  concerned  for  evolving  an appropriate skill development framework, removal of disconnect between the demand for and supply  of  skilled  manpower  through  vocational  and  technical  training,  skill  up-gradation, building of new skills, innovative thinking and talents not only for the existing jobs but also the jobs that are to be created.

Some  major  programmes/  activities  supported  by  other  concerned  Ministries/Departments with funds provided under STC components are mentioned below:

- A. Department of Higher Education:
- i. Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
- ii. University Grants Commission (UGC)
- iii. All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE)
- iv. Grants to Central Universities (CUs)
- v. Interest Subsidy and contribution for Guarantee Funds
- vi. National Mission in Education Through ICT
- vii. PM Research Fellowship
- viii. Programme for Apprenticeship Training
- ix. Support to Indian Institute(s) of Science, Education and Research (IISER)
- x. Support to Indian Institutes of Technology
- B. Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) has reported about following schemes:
- i. Samagra Shiksha scheme: DoSEL, Ministry of Education is implementing Samagra Shiksha scheme, effective from 2018-19, by subsuming the schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA),  and  Teacher  Education  (TE).  Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the scheme. The Scheme reaches out to girls, and children belonging to SC, ST, Minority communities  and  transgender.  The  Scheme  also  focuses  on  the  identified  Special  Focus Districts  (SFDs)  on  the  basis  of  adverse  performance  on  various  indicators  of  enrolment, retention, and gender parity, as well as concentration of SC, ST and minority communities. A total  of  109 ST SFDs, having population of more than 25% and above ST population have been identified. The major interventions of Samagra Shiksha include RTE entitlements under which two sets of uniforms for all  girls, and children belonging to  SC/ST/BPL families in Government schools up to class VII are provided and provision is also made for textbooks to all  children  indulging  SC/ST  in  Government/Local  Body  and  Government  aided  schools, including Madarsas.
- ii. Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas  (KGBVs):  Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  KGBVs  are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and BPL. The KGBVs are set up in Educationally Backward Blocks. The objective behind establishing KGBVs is to ensure access and quality education to girls from disadvantaged groups and to reduce gender gaps at all levels of school education. Target group for KGBVs is the girls in the age group of 10-18 years aspiring to study in classes VI to XII  belonging  to  SC,  ST,  OBC,  Minority  communities  and  BPL  families.  As  per  Praband Portal,  the  ST  enrolment  in  KGBVs  as  on  31.12.2022  is  1,77,082.  As  reported  by DoSEL, 822  KGBVs  have  been  sanctioned  in  109  ST,  SFDs  having  25%  and  above  ST population out of which 697 are operational with the enrolment of 66.03% ST girls.
- iii. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS)
- iv. Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)
- C. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship:
- i. The  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  has  been  implementing  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana for providing short term skill training to youth belonging to all sections of the society including tribal community. Under the scheme, as reported by MSDE, as on 31.12.2023, 6.56 lakh candidates from the category Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been trained/oriented.
- ii. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme
- iii. Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion

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