Lok Sabha Question No. 277 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Initiatives for Tribal Development
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Annasaheb Shankar Jolle, Kanakmal Katara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 277

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 05/02/2024

## INITIATIVES FOR TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT

## 277. SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE: SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has transformed its approach to tribal development in the last nine years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the key milestones and achievements of the Government's tribal development initiatives?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (c): Government of India is focusing on inclusive growth as reflected in its commitment to Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas and has taken various steps to uplift and empower the Scheduled Tribes.

Government is implementing Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) as a strategy for the development of Scheduled Tribes and areas having tribal concentration. Besides Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 41 Ministries/Departments are allocating certain percentage of their total scheme budget every  year for tribal development under DAPST for various tribal development projects relating to education, health, agriculture, irrigation, roads, housing, electrification, employment generation, skill development, etc.

Details of schemes/programmes/steps taken for the development of STs and milestones/achievements are given below:

In Union Budget 2023-24, an amount of Rs. 1,17,943.73 crore has been allocated as DAPST funds out of the total  scheme  budgetary  allocation  of  obligated  Ministries/Departments  which  is  about  five  and  half  time increase in DAPST funds allocation than that of the actuals of FY 2013-14.

Government of India has declared in 2021 that 15th November, the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda will be celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. This day is dedicated to the memory of brave tribal freedom fighters so that coming generations could know about their sacrifices about the country and would recognize the  efforts  of  the  tribals  for  preservation  of  cultural  heritage  and  promotion  of  Indian  values  of  valour, hospitality and national pride.

Government  launched  Viksit  Bharat  Sankalp  Yatra  which  focuses  on  reaching  out  to  people,  creating awareness and providing benefits of welfare schemes like sanitation facilities, essential financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing for the poor, food security, proper nutrition, reliable healthcare, clean drinking water, etc.

Government has launched PM JANMAN (PM- Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) which  is aimed at comprehensive development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTGs) residing in 18 states and 1 UT who continue to lag behind in socio economic indicators of educational, health and livelihood with a total outlay of Rs.24,104 crore.

For saturation of gaps in the development of tribal villages, Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna aims at transforming villages with significant tribal population covering about population of 4.22 crore (About 40% of the total Tribal Population). It is envisaged to cover 36,428 villages having at least 50% tribal population and 500 STs across States / UTs with notified STs by 2025-26.  An amount of Rs. 2216.33 crores have already been released to the States under the scheme.

In order to provide quality education to tribal students in their own environment, a separate Central Sector Scheme was carved out in 2018 to improve the geographical outreach of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) to every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons based on Census 2011 data. As on date, 694 schools have been sanctioned, out of which 402 EMRSs are functional across the country benefiting about 1,21,640 students. The Scheme is now aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process.

Under Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships, Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides scholarships to around 33-35 lakhs ST students every year.

Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  (DoSEL),  Ministry  of  Education  is  implementing  Samagra Shiksha scheme, effective from 2018-19. Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the scheme. Scheme reaches out of girls and children belonging to SC, ST, Minority communities and transgender. 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.

Due to the interventions taken by the Government, literacy rate for STs has improved from 59% (Census) in 2011 to 73.6 % (as per Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report (July 2022 - June 2023). Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at upper Primary level has improved from 91.3 (2013-14) to 98.0 (2021-22); GER for ST students at secondary level (IX-X) has increased from 70.2 (2013-14) to 78.1 (2021-22); GER for ST students at senior secondary level (XI-XII) has increased from 35.4 (2013-14) to 52.0 (2021-22) and GER for ST students at higher education level has increased from 11.3 (2013-14) to 21.2 (2021-22).

'Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)' aims to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship initiatives and to facilitate livelihood opportunities by promoting more efficient, equitable, self-managed, optimum use of natural resources, Agri / Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) / Non-farm enterprises. Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is the central implementing agency of this scheme. The scheme seeks to support the theme of 'Vocal for Local by Tribal'. Under PMJVM, the Ministry provides financial support for procurement of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) at Minimum Support Price, creation of infrastructure facilities for development of MFP/non-MFP value chain and value addition training programmes through  Van  Dhan  Vikas  Kendras.  3958  VDVKs  have  been  sanctioned  benefiting  11,83,412  persons  till December 2023.

National  Scheduled  Tribes  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC),  a  Central  Public  Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, extends concessional loans to the eligible Scheduled Tribe  persons  for  undertaking  income  generation  activities/  self-employment  through  its  implementing agencies. More than 8.5 lakh beneficiaries were covered under the schemes of NSTFDC during last nine years.

Under  Skill  India  Mission,  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  conducts  skill training across all the sections of the society including tribal communities through a comprehensive network of skill development centres/institutes across the country under various schemes viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). More than 6.5 lakh ST beneficiaries have been trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY- G): Department of Rural Development is implementing rural housing  scheme  PMAY-G  w.e.f.  1st  April,  2016  to  provide  assistance  to  eligible  rural  households  for construction of Pucca houses with basic amenities to achieve the objective of Housing for All in rural areas. About 66 lakh houses have been sanctioned for STs under Pradhan Mantri AwasYojna (PMAY)-Gramin, out of which construction of about 54 lakh houses has been completed.

Jal Jeevan Mission: Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a centrally sponsored programme, aims to provide tap water connection  to  every  rural  household  of  the  country  by  2024.  The  goal  is  universal  coverage  of  all  rural households  across  the  country  and  as  such  encompasses  overall  rural  ST  population/  households  as well.  Around 1.40 crore household have been provided piped water supply in ST concentrated habitations under JJM.

Swachh  Bharat  Mission  Gramin  (SBM  G):  Government  launched  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Grameen) [SBM(G)] with effect from 2nd October, 2014 with the aim to make the rural areas (including tribal areas) of the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2nd October, 2019. All the villages (including Tribal areas) in the country have already declared themselves ODF.  Around 1.48 crore Individual Household Latrines have been constructed for ST households under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-Rural) since 2014-15.

To eliminate sickle cell disease by the year 2047, Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission has been launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister from Madhya Pradesh on 01.07.2023. The objectives of the Mission are provision of affordable, accessible and quality care to all Sickle Cell Diseased patients, reduction in the prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease through awareness creation, targeted screening of 7 crore people till year 2025-26 in the age group of 0-40 years in affected 278 districts of tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of Central ministries and State governments.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) aims at providing financial assistance to all cultivable landholding farmer families across the country, subject to certain exclusion criteria. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs. 6000/- is transferred annually in three equal installments of Rs.2000/- directly into the Aadhaar Seeded bank accounts of the farmers. Around 1 crore ST farmers are getting benefits under PM-KISAN.

As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in respect of Scheduled Tribes, Infant Mortality Rate has declined from 44.4 (2015-16) to 41.6 (2019-21); Under Five Mortality Rate has declined from 57.2 (2015-16) to 50.3 (2019-21), and Institutional Delivery has increased from  68%  (2015-16)  to  82.3%  (2019-21).  Further,  full  immunization  of  children  aged  12-23  months  has increased from 55.8 % (2015-16) to 76.8 % (2019-21).

Government,  in  order  to  remove  the  financial  burden  of  the  poor  beneficiaries  and  to  ensure  nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of the National Food Security Act (2013), is providing food grains free of cost to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

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