Lok Sabha Question No. 937 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-05
Subject: Welfare Schemes for Scheduled Tribes
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO- 937

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 05/02/2026

## WELFARE SCHEMES FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES

937. Dr. Alok Kumar Suman:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of implementation of welfare schemes for Scheduled Tribes across the country:
- (b) the measures taken to ensure access of tribal communities to education, healthcare, nutrition, housing and livelihood opportunities:
- c)  the  steps  being  undertaken  to  protect  forest  rights,  land  ownership  and  traditional  Livelihoods  of  tribal populations under existing laws and policies:
- (d)  whether  any  special  initiatives  are  being  implemented  for  skill  development,  entrepreneurship  and employment generation among tribal youth and women, if so, the details thereof:
- (e) the mechanisms in place to ensure effective utilisation of funds, monitoring of outcomes and participation of tribal communities in decision-making, and
- (f) the additional policy, financial and institutional measures proposed by the Government to promote inclusive development, social justice, cultural preservation and sustainable growth of tribal areas while addressing regional disparities and improving the quality of life of Scheduled Tribes nationwide?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b): The Government is implementing the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST)/ Tribal  Sub  Plan  (TSP)  as  a  strategy  for  the  development  of  Scheduled  Tribes  and  areas  having  tribal concentration in the country. Under DAPST,  besides the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 41 Central Ministries/Departments are mandated to allocate a specified percentage of their total scheme budget every year for tribal development, with the objective of bridging the developmental gap between Scheduled Tribes (STs) and non-ST populations. These allocations support various tribal development initiatives relating to education, health, agriculture, irrigation, roads, housing, electrification, employment generation, skill development, and allied sectors. State Governments are also required to earmark Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) funds in proportion to the ST  population  in  the  State,  as  per  Census  2011.  Details  of  schemes  and  funds  allocated  by  the  obligated Ministries/Departments for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes are reflected in Statement 10B (https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2025-26/doc/eb/stat10b.pdf)  of the Expenditure Profile  of the Union Budget.

Further, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing various major schemes/programmes for the welfare and development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the country such as:

- i. Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) was started in the year 2018-19 to provide quality education at par with Navodaya Vidyalaya to the tribal children in their own environment. Under the new scheme, Government decided to establish 440 EMRSs, one EMRS in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011). 288 EMRS schools were initially funded under Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution, which are being upgraded as per the new model. Accordingly, Ministry has set the target to set up total of 728 EMRSs benefiting around 3.5 lakh ST students across the country.

## Details of funds released under EMRS during last three years

(Rs. In Lakh)

| State/UT   | 2022-23     | 2023-24     | 2024-25*    |
|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| All India  | 1,97,055.63 | 2,30,494.85 | 4,61,079.71 |

*Provisional

- ii. Pre-Matric Scholarships to ST students : The scheme is applicable to students who are studying in Classes IX -X.  Parental income from all sources should not be more than Rs.2.50 lakhs per annum. Scholarship of Rs.225/-per month for day scholars and Rs.525/-per month for hostellers is given for a  period  of  10  months  in  a  year.  Scholarship  is  disbursed  through  the  State  Government/UT Administration. Funding ratio is 75:25 between Centre and States for all States except North East and Hills States/UT like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir where it is 90:10. For UTs without legislature sharing pattern is 100% Central share.

## Fund released under Pre-Matric scholarship Scheme for ST students during last three year

(Rs. In Crore)

| State/UT   |   F.Y. 2022-23 |   F.Y. 2023-24 |   F.Y. 2024-25* |
|------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|
| All India  |         357.29 |          308.6 |          163.69 |

## *Provisional

- iii. Post  Matric  Scholarship  to  ST  students: The  objective  of  the  scheme  is  to  provide  financial assistance to the Scheduled   Tribe   students   studying   at   post-matriculation or post-secondary levels to enable them to complete their education.  Parental income from all sources should not be more  than  Rs.2.50  lakhs  per  annum.  Compulsory  fees  charged  by  educational  institutions  are reimbursed subject to the limit fixed by the concerned State Fee fixation committee and scholarship amount of Rs.230 to Rs.1200 per month, depending upon the course of study is paid. The Scheme is implemented by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Funding ratio is 75:25 between Centre and States for all States except NE and Hilly States/UT of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir where it is 90:10. For UTs without legislature sharing pattern is 100% Central share.

(Rs. In Crore)

| State/UT   |   F.Y. 2022-23 |   F.Y. 2023-24 |   F.Y. 2024-25* |
|------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|
| All India  |        1964.63 |        2668.69 |         2598.34 |

- iv. Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan:  Hon'ble  PM  launched  Dharti  Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan Hon'ble PM launched Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan  (DAJGUA)  on  2 nd   October,  2024.  The  Abhiyan  comprises  of  25  interventions implemented by 17-line Ministries and aims to saturate infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages, provide social infrastructure like hostels, Anganwadi facilities and mobile medical units and set up Van Dhan Vikas Kendras to provide 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  a  total budgetary outlay of Rs.79,156 Cr (Central share: ₹56,333 Cr and State share: ₹22,823 Cr).
- v. Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan  (PM  JANMAN): Government launched  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan  (PM  JANMAN)  for  socioeconomic 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  unelectrified households and sustainable livelihood opportunities in 3 years. These objectives are planned to be met through 11 interventions including Hostels and Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) 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).

## Funds released to State Governments during last three years under PM-JANMAN (Rs. In Cr)

| State/UTs   | FY 2022-23   |   FY 2023-24 |   FY 2024-25* |
|-------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
| All India   | --           |          100 |         99.68 |

- vi. Grants  under  Article  275(1)  of  the  Constitution: Under  the  Proviso  to  Article  275(1)  of Constitution,  Grants  are  released  to  States,  having  ST  population  for  raising  the  level  of administration in Scheduled Areas and for the welfare of tribal people. This is a Special Area Programme and 100% grants are provided to States. Funds are released to the State Governments depending on the felt needs of ST population to bridge the gap in infrastructure activities in the fields of education, health, skill development, livelihood, drinking water, sanitation, etc.

## Fund released  during  last  three  year  under  Article  275(1)  of  Constitution  (as  on 31.06.2025)

(Rs.in Lakh)

| States    | 2022-23       | 2023-24       | 2024-25*      |
|-----------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
|           | Total Release | Total Release | Total Release |
| All India | 97649.20      | 117210.00     | 117057.00     |

- vii. Grant-in Aid to Voluntary Organizations working for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes: Under the scheme of Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organizations working for the welfare of Scheduled  Tribes,  the  Ministry  funds  projects  in  the  fields  of  education  and  health,  covering residential  schools,  non-residential  schools,  hostels,  mobile  dispensaries,  ten  or  more  bedded hospitals, livelihood, etc.

## Fund Released Funded During last three year

(Rs.in Lakh)

| State/UTs   |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25* |
|-------------|-----------|-----------|------------|
| All India   |     10925 |   12083.7 |      17500 |

*Provisional

- viii. National  Scheduled  Tribes  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC): under  the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is an apex organisation set up exclusively for economic development of Scheduled  Tribes  implements  various  schemes  for  livelihood  generation.  NSTFDC  extends concessional  loans  to  the  eligible  Scheduled  Tribe  communities  including  Tharu  tribe.  The schemes of NSTFDC are implemented across the country including the state of Uttar Pradesh. The prominent schemes of NSTFDC are given as under:
2.  Term Loan Scheme: NSTFDC provides Term Loan for viable projects costing upto ₹50.00 lakh per unit. Under the scheme, financial assistance is extended upto 90% of the cost of the project and the balance is met by way of subsidy/ promoter contribution/ margin money.
3.  Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY): This  is  an  exclusive  scheme  for  economic development of Scheduled Tribes Women. Under the scheme, NSTFDC provides loan upto 90% for projects costing upto ₹2 lakh.
4.  Micro Credit Scheme for Self Help Groups (MCF): This is an exclusive scheme for Self Help Groups for meeting small loan requirement of ST member. Under the scheme, the Corporation provides loans upto ₹50,000/- per member and maximum ₹5 Lakh per Self Help Group (SHG).
5.  Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY): This  is  an  Education loan scheme to enable the ST students to meet expenditure for pursuing technical and professional education including Ph.D. in India. Under this scheme, the Corporation provides financial assistance upto ₹10 lakh per eligible family. The students are eligible for interest subsidy from Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, during the moratorium period i.e. course period plus one year after completion of course or six months after getting the job, whichever is earlier .

(Rs. in lakhs)

| State/UTs   | 2022-23          | 2023-24          | 2024-25*         |
|-------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|             | Amount disbursed | Amount disbursed | Amount disbursed |
| All India   | 29929.00         | 35165.42         | 37327.70         |

*Provisional

State  Governments  are also  supposed  to  earmark  TSP  funds  with  respect  to  the  total  Scheme allocation, in proportion to ST population (Census 2011) in the State. The details of allocation and expenditure for TSP by States/UTs are available at https://statetsp.tribal.gov.in.

Further, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing various schemes/programmes for the welfare and development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the country. The details of these schemes and the State-wise funds allocations made during last five financial years by the Ministry is given at

(c): Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implemented 'The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA)', which was enacted with the objective of  undoing  the  historical  injustices  faced  by  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest Dwellers due to the long-standing non-recognition of their rights over forest lands and resources.

FRA recognizes 13 different usufruct rights including the right to hold and live in the forest land  under  the  individual  or  common  occupation  for  habitation  or  for  self-cultivation  for livelihood,  right  of  ownership,  access  to  collect,  use,  and  dispose  of  minor  forest  produce. Entitlement  on  usage  of  water  bodies  and  its  products,  pastures  for  grazing  (both  settled  or transhumant) and traditional seasonal resource access and also provide authority and responsibility to the Gram Sabha of the forest dependent community to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any  community  forest  resource  which  they  have  been  traditionally  protecting  sustainable  use. Further, FRA provides adequate safeguards to avoid any displacement of tribal population but also seeks to involve democratic institutions in the process of recognition and vesting of forest rights at the grassroots level.

Statement of Claims received, Distribution of title deeds, and the extent of forest land for which titles distributed (individual and community), under 'The Scheduled Tribes and Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest  Rights)  Act,  2006'  as  on 31.05.2025:

|           | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State/Uts | Individual                                                                        | Community                                                                         | Total                                                                             | Individual                                                                        | Community                                                                         | Total                                                                             |
| All India | 49,11,495                                                                         | 2,11,609                                                                          | 51,23,104                                                                         | 23,89,670                                                                         | 1,21,705                                                                          | 25,11,375                                                                         |

| State/Uts   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   |
|-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| All India   | Individual                                                      | Community                                                       | Total                                                           |
|             | 5075083.5                                                       | 18198863.9                                                      | 23273947.4                                                      |

(d): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs through its two agencies namely Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)  &  National Scheduled Tribes Finance  & Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC)  has  contributed  significantly to support  and  grow entrepreneurs and businesses of individuals belonging to tribal communities across India.

The  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  is  implementing  the  scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri  Janjatiya  Vikas Mission  (PMJVM)'  through  TRIFED  which  envisions  to  strengthen  tribal  entrepreneurship initiatives and to facilitate livelihood opportunities by promoting more efficient, equitable, selfmanaged, optimum use of natural resources, Agri / Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) / Non-farm produce.  Under  the  scheme,  financial  support  of  INR  15.00  lakhs  is  provided  to  the  State Governments for setting up each Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) which are the centers of value addition activities of MFPs/Non-MFPs. Since the inception of the program in 2019-20, an amount of Rs. 612.13  crores  has  been  sanctioned  for  establishment  of  4125  Van  Dhan  Vikas Kendras  (VDVKs)  associating  12.33  lakh  members.  Additionally,  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) initiative, an amount of Rs. 22.98 crores has been sanctioned for establishment of 539 VDVKs associating 45,924 members. State-wise details of the same is given at

## All India-wise details of PMJVM VDVKs

(Rs. In lakhs)

| State/UTsNo. of VDVKs sanctionedTotal No. of BeneficiariesFunds Sanctioned   |   State/UTsNo. of VDVKs sanctionedTotal No. of BeneficiariesFunds Sanctioned |   State/UTsNo. of VDVKs sanctionedTotal No. of BeneficiariesFunds Sanctioned |   State/UTsNo. of VDVKs sanctionedTotal No. of BeneficiariesFunds Sanctioned |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| All India                                                                    |                                                                         4125 |                                                                      1233328 |                                                                      61212.7 |

## All India -wise details of PM-JANMAN VDVKs

(Rs. in lakhs)

| State / UTs   |   VDVK Sanctioned | Beneficiaries   |   Fund Sanctioned |
|---------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| All India     |               539 | 45,924          |           2298.05 |

Additionally,  TRIFED  provides  backward  and  forward  linkages  for  tribal  artisans  and suppliers, facilitating the marketing of tribal products across various categories, including metal craft, textiles, jewelry, paintings, cane and bamboo, terracotta and pottery, as well as organic and natural food products. These products are marketed through both online and offline platforms. Furthermore, TRIFED organizes and participates in festivals, exhibitions, and trade fairs to provide a  platform  for  tribal  artisans  to  showcase  their  products,  connect  with  potential  buyers,  and enhance their entrepreneurial opportunities.

(e)  and  (f): The  Ministry  has  undertaken  two  missions  for  development  of  STs  through convergence  of funds  available  with  different  Ministries/Departments  under  DAPST  namely  Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan.

Committees have been formulated at the State, District, and Block levels to ensure effective implementation,  coordination,  and  monitoring  of  the  Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh Abhiyan. At the State level, a State-Level Apex Committee (SLAC) chaired by the Chief Secretary has been constituted. At the District level, a District-Level Committee, chaired by the District Collector  and  at  the  Block  level,  a  Block-Level  Implementation  Teams  (BLITs)  comprising officers  from  various  departments  have  been  set  up  to  facilitate  grassroots  implementation  of interventions.

Apart from this, MoTA also conducts review meetings with the obligated Ministries/Departments. Nodal officers are also appointed in the respective Ministries/Departments.

Multiple evaluation and monitoring exercises have been undertaken to assess the performance and  impact  of  tribal  welfare  schemes.  NITI  Aayog  (DMEO)  through  M/s  KPMG  Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd., conducted a comprehensive Evaluation Study of Centrally Sponsored Schemes under Package 9 for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, covering seven schemes under the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana.

1. Pre-Matric Scholarship
2. Post Matric Scholarship for STs
3. Support to Tribal Research Institutes
4. Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
5. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)
6. Pradhan Mantri Adi Adrash Gram Yojna - PMAAGY (previously known as Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme - SCA to TSS). PMAAGY is now revamped and is subsumed under DAJGUA
7. Administrative Cost to States / UTs

In addition, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has got eight Central Sector schemes evaluated , namely:

1. Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
2. National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students
3. Scholarship to the ST Students for studies abroad
4. Aid to Voluntary Organizations working for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes
5. Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)
6. Tribal Research Information, Education, Communication and Events (TRI-ECE)
7. Monitoring, Evaluation, Survey and Social Audit (MESSA)
8. Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes

******