Lok Sabha Question No. 2875 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Multidimensionally Poor in India
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Mimi Chakraborty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2875

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 07/08/2023

## MULTIDIMENSIONALLY POOR IN INDIA

2875. MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the five out of six multidimensionality poor people in india are from lower castes tribes;

(b) whether 65 million people of scheduled tribe group accounts for 9.4 per cent of the population and is the poorest in the country;

- (c) if so, State-wise detail of the population report therein; and

(d) the steps/initiatives taken by the Government for substantial development of scheduled tribes?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c): Global  Multidimensional  Poverty  Index  (MPI)  2021,  jointly  published  by  the  Human Development Report Office (HDRO) of the United Nations  Development Programme and  the  Oxford Poverty  and  Human  Development  Initiative  (OPHI)  states  that  'In  India  the  Scheduled  Tribe  group accounts for 9.4 percent of the population and is the poorest: more than half-65 million of 129 million people-live in multidimensional poverty'. However, the latest Global MPI 2023 which has not given caste-wise poverty concludes that 415 million poor people moved out of poverty from 2005-2006 to 20192021 and poorest groups, including children and people in disadvantaged caste groups,  had the fastest absolute progress. India has halved its MPI from 2005-2006 to 2019-2021.

NITI Aayog has published 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index' in July 2023 which concludes that India's population who are multidimensionally poor has declined from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-20 and 13.5 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty during the same period. Though, the report does not explicitly mention about STs, district-wise data reveals that most of the tribal priority districts have shown an improvement in multidimensional poverty.

(d): Government is implementing Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) now known as 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. The schemes include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awaas  Yojana-  Gramin  (PMAY-G), Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana-National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM),  National  Social

Assistance Programme (NSAP) of Ministry of Rural Development, Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs,  PM-KISAN,  Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund,  Crop  Insurance  Scheme,  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas Yojana  of  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers'  Welfare,  National  Livestock  Mission  and  Dairy Development of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana of Department of Fisheries, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana and Prime Ministry Formalization of Micro  Food  Processing  Enterprises  Scheme  of  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries,  Atma  Nirbhar Bharat  Rozgar Yojana of Ministry of Labour& Employment, Pradhan Mantri  Employment  Generation Programme of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana of Ministry  of  Skill  Development  &  Entrepreneurship,  National  Handicraft  Development  Programme  of Ministry of Textiles, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) etc.

Further, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing various schemes/programmes exclusively for socioeconomic  development  and  welfare  of  the  Scheduled  Tribes  (STs)  in  the  country.  Names  of  the schemes/programmes are as given below:

1. Pre -Matric Scholarship
2. Post Matric Scholarship
3. Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)
4. Special Central Assistance for Tribal Sub-Plan / Pradhan Mantri Aadi Adrash Gram Yojna (PMAAGY)
5. Grants under proviso of article 275 (1) of the Constitution
6. Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
7. National Fellowship & Scholarship for higher education of ST children
8. Scholarship to the students for studies abroad
9. Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)
10. Aid to Voluntary Organizations working for the welfare of STs

*****