Lok Sabha Question No. 2323 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Setting Up of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Dr. C M Ramesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2323

ANSWERED ON 04/08/2025

## SETTING UP OF VAN DHAN VIKAS KENDRAS IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 2323.  DR. C M RAMESH:

Will  the  Minister  of  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  AND  ENTREPRENEURSHIP  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Andhra  Pradesh  is  one  of  the  States  that  have  highest Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs);
- (b) if so, the details of the work done by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Devlopment (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) to uplift the PVTGs  along  with the manner  in which Tribal Cooperation Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is helping NIESBUD and IIE to implement the programmes/schemes;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to set up 500 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in the country; and
- (d) if  so, the number of such Kendras are proposed to set up in Andhra Pradesh and the number of tribal women beneficiaries trained since inception of the scheme?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a)  to  (d):      As  reported  by  the  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA),  the  State  of  Andhra Pradesh  with  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  (PVTGs)  population  of  5,18,997  is among the States having higher number of PVTGs.

Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  through  its  autonomous Institutes, namely, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development  (NIESBUD)  and  Indian  Institute  of  Entrepreneurship,  Guwahati  (IIE)  is implementing  the  skilling  and  entrepreneurship  component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan (PM JANMAN) -a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of PVTGs, since March 2024. The scheme focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including MSDE.

One  of  the  key  interventions  of  the  Ministry  is  facilitating  skill  and  entrepreneurship developments  in  Van  Dhan  Vikas  Kendras  (VDVKs).  The  project  is  being  implemented with support of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in 15 States across the country under which a total of 500 VDVKs are to be set up. As of 29.07.2025, a total of 405 VDVKs have been established under the project out of 500 VDVKS and 37,161 beneficiaries have been trained of which 31,560 are women. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, 73 VDVKs have been established out of the total target of 73 VDVKs and 5,950 candidates have been trained, of which 5,109 are women.

The  state-wise  status  of  the  VDVKs  operational  and  training  programmes  under  PM JANMAN, including the State of Andhra Pradesh, is as under:

| Sl. No.   | State          | Total Target VDVK   | VDVK Operational   | Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP)   | Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP)   | EDP Total   |
|-----------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------|
|           |                |                     |                    | Male                                           | Female                                         |             |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh | 73                  | 73                 | 841                                            | 5109                                           | 5950        |
| 2         | Chhattisgarh   | 16                  | 16                 | 39                                             | 2356                                           | 2395        |
| 3         | Gujarat        | 21                  | 21                 | 751                                            | 299                                            | 1050        |
| 4         | Jharkhand      | 35                  | 35                 | 255                                            | 2567                                           | 2822        |
| 5         | Karnataka      | 32                  | 2                  | 192                                            | 976                                            | 1168        |
| 6         | Kerala         | 5                   | 5                  | 269                                            | 156                                            | 425         |
| 7         | Madhya Pradesh | 83                  | 49                 | 958                                            | 3245                                           | 4203        |
| 8         | Maharashtra    | 40                  | 40                 | 1776                                           | 1848                                           | 3624        |
| 9         | Odisha         | 43                  | 43                 | 46                                             | 2279                                           | 2325        |
| 10        | Rajasthan      | 50                  | 50                 | 0                                              | 8659                                           | 8659        |
| 11        | Tamil Nadu     | 37                  | 8                  | 0                                              | 797                                            | 797         |
| 12        | Telangana      | 25                  | 25                 | 469                                            | 992                                            | 1461        |
| 13        | Uttar Pradesh  | 5                   | 3                  | 0                                              | 266                                            | 266         |
| 14        | Uttarakhand    | 5                   | 5                  | 0                                              | 314                                            | 314         |
| 15        | Tripura        | 30                  | 30                 | 5                                              | 1697                                           | 1702        |
|           | Total          | 500                 | 405                | 5601                                           | 31560                                          | 37161       |

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