Lok Sabha Question No. 2052 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: Conversion of Religion
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED No- † 2052

## TO BE ANSWERED ON- 14/03/2022

## CONVERSION OF RELIGION

## †2052. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  conversion  of  religion  is  a  very  big  issue  in  the  States  of  Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh,  Odisha  and  Jharkhand  etc.  particularly  in  the  Parliamentary  Constituency  of  Banswadadangarpur, if so the steps taken by the Government to stop the said conversion of religion and to save the thousand of years old culture of our tribes;

(b) whether the Government has constituted or proposes to constitute any Committee to find out or to investigate the reasons for the conversion of religion by the Tribal Community;

(c) the details of the steps taken for the development of tribals;

(d)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  tribal  areas  have  not  developed  to  the  extent  that  it  should  have  been developed even after 75 years of independence;

(e) whether the Government is formulating or proposes to formulate any action plan to help the tribal people of our society to join them in mainstream of development; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) & (b): 'Public Order' and 'Police' are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of  India.  Hence prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of offences related to religious conversions are primarily the concerns of the State Government/Union  Territory(UT) Administrations. Action is taken as per existing laws by the law enforcing agencies whenever instances of violation come to notice.

(c)  to  (f): The  Government  has  adopted  a  multi-pronged  strategy  for  the  development  of  tribal population and to bring them into the mainstream of development. Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), now called Scheduled Tribe Component (STC), is a dedicated source of fund for tribal development and conservation and promotion of tribal culture, language and traditions.  STC is a multi-pronged strategy which includes support  for  education,  health,  sanitation,  water  supply,  livelihood  etc.  Major  part  of  infrastructure development in tribal dominated areas and provision of basic amenities to tribal people in the country is carried out through various schemes / programmes of concerned Central Ministries and the State

Governments concerned, while the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) provides additive to these initiatives by way of plugging gaps through its schemes, which are as follows:

1. Revamping of the Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Scheme as Aadi Adarsh Gram Yojana to enable holistic development of the tribal population.
2. The  dedicated  Scheme  of  Development  of  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  for important gap filling activities for the survival, protection and development of PVTGs and which are not specifically catered to by any other scheme.
3. The 'Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India' which is aimed to enable the States 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 or raising the level of administration of Scheduled Areas therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State.
4. The scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) enables ST students from Classes 6 th to  12 th to  access  the  best  opportunities  in  education  and  to  bring  them  at  par  with  the general population.
5. The Ministry administers five scholarship schemes, catering to students studying in classes 9 th till  Post-Doctoral  Research,  including  for  studying  abroad  in  accordance  with  the guidelines of the concerned scheme.
6. The scheme of grant-in-aid to voluntary organization working for the welfare of scheduled tribes has the prime objective to enhance the reach of welfare schemes of the Government and fill gaps in the sectors such as education and health in service deficient tribal areas through the efforts of voluntary organizations.
7. 'Support to Tribal Research Institute (TRI)'  aims to strengthen  Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in various activities.
8. The  scheme  of  Tribal  Festival,  Research  Information  and  Mass  Education  utilizes  the expertise of reputed organizations, research institutes, universities to create replicable models in areas of education, health, livelihood, digital governance etc.
9. The scheme of Marketing and Logistics Development for Promoting Tribal Products from North Eastern Region has been recently introduced, to be implemented for a period of two years, with TRIFED as the nodal agency for the same.
10. The schemes of the Ministry have now been merged into the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission viz (a) 'Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce and Development of the Value Chain for MFP' and (b) the scheme of Institutional Support to TRIFED for Marketing Development and Marketing of Tribal Products.

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