Lok Sabha Question No. 2153 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Development Projects in Tribal Areas
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Pragya Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO † 2153

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN TRIBAL AREAS

## †2153. SADHVI PRAGYA SINGH THAKUR:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to bring some new projects for the development of tribal areas in the country  including  Madhya  Pradesh;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  also  proposes  to introduce some new schemes for the Higher Education of students living in tribal areas; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) Government is implementing Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP)/Schedule Tribe Component (STC)/Development Action Plan for Development of STs (DAPSTs) for overall development of tribal people  across  the  country  including  Madhya  Pradesh.  Besides,  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs,  40  Central Ministries / Departments have been obligated by NITI Aayog for earmarking certain percentage of their total Scheme allocation every year as TSP funds for tribal development. TSP funds are spent by different Central  Ministries  /  Departments  under  their  schemes  for  various  development  projects  relating  to education,  health,  agriculture,  irrigation,  roads,  housing,  drinking  water,  electrification,  employment generation,  skill  development,  etc.  for  development  of  Scheduled  Tribes.  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs provides additive to these initiatives by way of plugging critical gaps. The details of the schemes presently being implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the development and welfare of the Scheduled Tribes in the country are given at Annexure .

Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  provides  funds  under  the  schemes  'Post-Matric  Scholarships  for  ST students',  'National  Fellowship  &  Scholarship  for  Higher  Education  of  ST  students'  and  'National Overseas Scholarships for ST Candidates for Studying Abroad' for the higher education of ST students. Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education also allocates TSP funds under various schemes for STs. They have made an allocation (Budget Estimates) of Rs. 1963.45 crore under TSP for the year 2021-22.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2153 for 02.08.2021 by SADHVI PRAGYA SINGH THAKUR regarding 'DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN TRIBAL AREAS'

Brief  details  of  Schemes/Programmes  being  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  i n  the country

(i) Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution : Under the programme of Proviso to Article 275(1) of  Constitution,  Grants  are  released  to  26  States,  having  ST  population  for  raising  the  level  of Administration in Scheduled Areas and for the welfare of tribal people. This is a Special Area Programme and 100% grants are provided to States. Funds are released to the   States Governments depending on the felt needs of ST population to bridge the gap in infrastructure activities in the fields of education, health, skill development, livelihood, drinking water, sanitation, etc.

(ii) Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): The scheme of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) was introduced in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education exclusively to ST children with an objective to provide quality middle and high-level education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas in order to enable them to avail of reservation in high and professional educational courses and get jobs in government and public and private sectors. Realizing the importance of the EMRS, in the Union Budget of 2018-19, Government announced that 'The Government is committed to provide the best quality education to the tribal children in their own environment. To realize this mission, it has been decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Eklavya Model Residential School. Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development."

It was a component of Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution. During 2018-19, a separate scheme was introduced. In terms of the aforesaid Budget announcement, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in its meeting held on 17.12.18, inter-alia approved the revamping of the EMRS Scheme.

(iii)Grant-in Aid  to  Voluntary  Organizations  working  for  the  welfare  of  Scheduled  Tribes: Under  the  scheme  of  Grant-in-Aid  to  Voluntary  Organizations  working  for  the  welfare  of  Scheduled Tribes, the Ministry funds projects in the fields of Education and Health, covering residential schools, nonresidential schools, hostels, mobile dispensaries, ten or more bedded hospitals, etc.

(iv)Strengthening  Education  among  ST  Girls  in  Low  Literacy  Districts: Scheme  is  exclusively for ST girls in 54 districts identified in the country, where the ST population is 25% or more and ST female literacy rate is below 35% or its fractions, as per 2001 Census. The scheme is being implemented through Voluntary Organisations/Non-Governmental  Organisations  and  aims  at  enhancing  the  literacy  rate  of tribal  girls,  bridging  the  gap  in  literacy  levels  between  the  general  female  population  and  tribal women and reducing drop-outs at the elementary level by creating the required ambiance for education.

(v)Pre-Matric Scholarships to ST students : The scheme is applicable to students who are studying in Classes  IX  -X.   Parental  income  from  all  sources  should  not  be  more  than  Rs.2.50  lakhs  per  annum. Scholarship of Rs.225/-per month for day scholars and Rs.525/-per month for hostellers is given for a period of 10 months in a year. Scholarship is disbursed through the State Government/UT Administration. Funding ratio is 75:25 between Centre and States for all States except North East and Hills States like Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Jammu and Kashmir where it is 90:10. For UT's without legislature sharing pattern is 100% Central Share.

(vi)Post  Matric  Scholarship  to  ST  students: The  objective  of  the  scheme  is  to  provide  financial assistance to the Scheduled   Tribe   students   studying   at   Post-matriculation or Post-secondary levels to enable them to complete their education.  Parental income from all sources should not be more than Rs.2.50 lakhs per annum. The tuition fee as fixed by the state fee regulatory committee is reimbursed and Scholarship amount of Rs.230 to Rs.1200 per month, depending upon the course of study is paid. The Scheme is implemented by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Funding ratio is 75:25 between Centre and States for all States except  NE and Hilly States/UTs of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir where it is 90:10. For UT's without legislature sharing pattern is 100% Central Share.

(vii)National Overseas Scholarships for ST Candidates for Studying Abroad: The Scheme provides for  financial  assistance  to  selected  students  to  pursue  Post  Graduation,  PhD  &  Post-Doctoral  study abroad.  A total of 20 awards are given every year.  Of  these,  17  awards  are  for  STs  and  3  awards for students  belonging  to  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  (PVTGs).  Parental/family income from all sources should not exceed Rs.6.00 lakhs per annum.

## (viii)National Fellowship &Scholarship for Higher Education of ST students:

- (a)National  Scholarship-(Top  class)  Scheme  [Graduate  level]: The  objective  of  the  scheme  is  to encourage meritorious ST students for pursuing studies at degree and post degree level in designated top 246 Institutions, whose parental income is not more than Rs.6.00 lakh per annum. Scholarship amount includes tuition fees, living expenses and allowances for books and computer.
- (b)National Fellowship for ST students: The objective of the scheme is to provide    fellowships    in    the    form    of    financial  assistance  to  students  belonging  to  the  Scheduled Tribes for pursuing higher studies such as M.Phil and Ph.D. Fellowship is granted as per UGC norms. (Presently, @ Rs.25,000/-for JRF and @Rs.28,000/-for SRF).
- (ix)  Special    Central    Assistance    to    Tribal    Sub-Scheme    (SCA    to    TSS): Under  scheme  of Special  Central  Assistance  to  Tribal  Sub-Scheme  (SCA to TSS) 100% grants is provided to the State Governments  for  activities  related  to  education,  health,  sanitation,  water  supply,  livelihood,  skill development,  Ashram  Schools,  Boys  and  Girls  Hostels,  Vocational  Training  Centres  (VTCs),  minor infrastructure, etc. to bridge the gap between Scheduled Tribe (ST) population and others as a critical gap filling measure.
- (x) Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): The scheme of Development of PVTGs covers 75 identified PVTGs among Scheduled Tribes in 18 States and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands  for  the  activities  like  education,  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  or  any  other  innovative    activity  meant  for  the comprehensive socio-economic development of PVTGs.

(xi)Institutional Support for Development & Marketing of Tribal Products/Produce (Central Sector Scheme): The  Tribal  Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is a Multi State Cooperative Society set up in 1987 under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 (now the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002) which functions both as a service provider and market developer for tribal products. It markets tribal products through the network of its retail outlets 'TRIBES INDIA' in the country. As a capacity builder, it also imparts training to Scheduled Tribe Artisans and Minor Forest Produce (MFP) gatherers.

(xii) Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP : A Scheme 'Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Development of Value Chain for MFP' was introduced by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the year 2013-14, to provide much needed safety net and support to people belonging to Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers whose very livelihood depends on collection and selling of MFP.

(xiii)Support   to   National/State   Scheduled   Tribes   Finance   and   Development   Corporations (NSTFDC/STFDCS): National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) is an apex organisation set up 10.04.2001, exclusively for economic development of Scheduled Tribes. The Corporation continues to function as a catalytic agent for promoting economic development activities of STs by providing financial assistance at concessional rates of interest.

(xiv)Support   to   Tribal   Research   Institutes   (TRIs)  : Ministry  extends  support  to  the  State Governments through the Scheme 'Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs)' to set up new TRIs where it didn't exist and to strengthen functioning of existing TRIs to carry out its core responsibility towards Research & Documentations, Training and capacity building, promotion of rich tribal heritage etc.

(xv) Tribal  Festivals,  Research  Information  and Mass  Education :  Through the scheme 'Tribal Festival,  Research  Information  and  Mass  Education',  promotion  of  rich  tribal  cultural  heritage, dissemination of information and creation of awareness are given attention to which includes organization of  Tribal  Craft  &  Food  Festivals,  Sports,  Music, Dance & Photo Competitions, Science, Art & Craft Expos, Workshops, Seminars, Production of documentary films by the Ministry & States, bringing out Publications thereby highlighting significant studies, documenting historical facets of tribal communities , achievements of Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) & State departments besides other advertisements etc. at regular intervals. With a view to fill the gap of research studies on tribal issues, MoTA recognizes renowned NGOs, Research Institutes, Universities where expertise exist and which have already made a mark by carrying out pioneering research in the field of tribal cultures as Centre of Excellences (CoEs).

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