Lok Sabha Question No. 1717 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-05
Subject: Development action Plan for STs in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Matheswaran V S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1717

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 05/12/2024

## DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN FOR STs IN TAMIL NADU

1717. SHRI MATHESWARAN V S:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of funds sanctioned and allocated under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the number of tribal villages in Tamil Nadu that would benefit from this scheme;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any significant measures to ensure that Tamil Nadu's tribal areas, which account for only 1.1% of the total tribal population, are not disadvantaged in favor of States with larger tribal populations and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details regarding the steps taken by the Government in order to make this scheme penetrate effectively, particularly in view of a survey by a non-profit organization in Tamil Nadu, which shows that 27% of the children in the tribal families of Tamil Nadu remain unenrolled in schools?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) to (c): Government is implementing Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) as a strategy for the development of Scheduled Tribes and areas having tribal concentration in the country.  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.  The  details  of  fund released under DAPST by Central Ministries/Departments to Tamil Nadu during last three years is as under:

| Year                      | 2021-22   |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|---------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Fund released (Rs. crore) | in 808.87 |    976.01 |    888.92 |

Source: STC MIS Portal (https://stcmis.gov.in/) (As on 02/12/2024, 11:00 AM)

The above data has not been vetted by the concerned Ministries

Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  is  implementing  various  schemes/programmes  for  the  welfare  and development  of  the  Scheduled  Tribes  (STs)  in  the  country.  The  schemes  of  the  Ministry  are targeted at development and welfare of all the STs in country including all STs of Tamil Nadu.

Further, The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has undertaken the developmental activities for STs and in ST dominated areas through convergence of funds available with different Ministries/Departments under DAPST.

During FY 2023-24, Government launched Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) for socio-economic development of 75 PVTG communities residing in 18 states and one UT. The mission aims to provide basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and  improved  access  to  education,  health  and nutrition,  road  and  telecom  connectivity, electrification of electrified households and sustainable livelihood opportunities in 3 years. These objectives are planned to be met through 11 interventions implemented by 9-line Ministries. PM JANMAN has total budgetary outlay of Rs.24,104 Cr (Central share: ₹15336 Cr and State share: ₹8768 Cr). Based on the data captured (as on 21.11.2024), 1737 villages under 21 districts of Tamil Nadu covering 3,80,376 PVTG population is being covered under PM JANMAN.

Hon'ble PM launched Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan on 2nd October, 2024. The Abhiyan comprises of 25 interventions implemented by 17-line Ministries and aims to saturate infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages, improve access to health, education, Anganwadi facilities and providing livelihood opportunities benefiting more than 5 crore tribals in 549 districts and 2,911 blocks in 30 States/UTs in 5 years. The Abhiyan has total budgetary outlay of Rs.79,156 Cr (Central  share:  ₹56,333  Cr  and  State  share:  ₹22,823  Cr).  The  Abhiyan  targets  specific  tribalmajority villages with populations of 500 or more, where at least 50% are tribal, and villages, in Aspirational districts, with at least 50 tribal population. 248 villages under 16 districts of Tamil Nadu covering 3,03,711 STs are being covered under Abhiyan.

Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  organized  Manthan  Shivirs  to  discuss  and  finalize  action  plan  for implementation of PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan. Officers from concerned  Ministries/Departments  and  State  Government  officers  participated  in  the  Manthan Shivir.  Thematic workshops, breakout sessions and knowledge sharing were conducted during the Shivir. MoTA has circulated IEC material to each of the participating Ministry of PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba to sensitize their State and district counterparts to bring specific proposals under the relevant portion of the scheme.

(d): As per UDISE+, gross enrolment ratio of children of Scheduled Tribes for Tamil Nadu by level of education in 2021-22 is given below:

|   Primary |   Upper Primary |   Secondary |   Higher Secondary |
|-----------|-----------------|-------------|--------------------|
|     112.1 |           110.9 |       118.2 |                 85 |

Ministry  of  Education  is  implementing  Samagra  Shiksha,  which  is  an  overarching  scheme  of school education covering all levels from pre-primary to senior secondary. Financial assistance is provided to the States and UTs for various activities to improve enrolment in Govt. schools, which include opening/strengthening of new schools up to senior secondary level, strengthening school infrastructure, setting up, upgradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) upto class 12, setting up of residential schools/hostel named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya

Vidyalayas,  transport  allowance,  undertaking  enrolment  drives,  seasonal  hostels/residential camps, provision of vocational education and ICT facilities in schools, etc.

Besides, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing schemes - Pre- Matric Scholarship, Post Matric Scholarship, National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students, National Overseas  Scholarship  (NOS)  to  the  ST  Students  for  Studies  Abroad  and  Eklavya  Model Residential  School  (EMRS)  for  educational  development  of  tribals.  Further,  hostels  for  ST students are being built under PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

Further, Tamil Nadu has informed that 320 Government Tribal Residential Schools and 1134 Adi Dravidar  Welfare  schools  under  Adi  Dravidar  and  Tribal  Welfare  Department  and  more  than 50000  general  schools  under  School  Education  Department  are  providing  education  for  ST students in the State.

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