Lok Sabha Question No. 2251 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-03
Subject: Promotion of Tribal Culture
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: P. KUMAR, MEENAKASHI LEKHI, HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, RAMSINH PATALYABHAI RATHWA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

(MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2251

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2015

**PROMOTION OF TRIBAL CULTURE**

2251.       SHRI P. KUMAR:

SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN:

SHRI RAMSINH RATHWA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)       whether the Government has implemented any scheme for promotion of tribal culture, customs, art, artisan activities and tribal museums in the country;

(b)     if so, the details thereof including the financial assistance provided under such schemes to the States/UTs, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Private Institutes during each of the last three years, and the current year, scheme, institution and State/UT-wise including Maharashtra;

(c)    the nature of the grant and the criteria/ norms fixed for providing such grants;

(d)  the number of beneficiaries under such schemes during the said period, scheme and State/UT-wise; and

(e)  the details of such proposals which are pending with the Government along with the reasons therefor and the time by which the pending proposals are likely to be cleared?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS 
(SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA)

1. & (b):    The Ministry is implementing the scheme of “Grant-in Aid to Tribal Research Institutes (TRI)” to extend financial assistance to strengthen them in the areas of research & documentation of tangible and intangible heritage and training & capacity building etc. The functions of the TRI, inter-alia, include to work as body of knowledge and research, to support evidence based policy, planning and legislations, capacity building, dissemination of information and creation of awareness etc. Research and Evaluation studies, organization of seminar and workshops, conducting training programmes, documentation of intangible heritage/arts and crafts of the tribal communities, strengthening of tribal museums, organizing exchange of visits by tribals, organisaion of tribal festivals, encourage traditional tribal sports are the core activities identified for support under the scheme. Further one of the objective of the “Organization of Tribal Festivals” is to tap the inherent talent of upcoming tribal folk artists, sports persons, etc and encourage their participation at national and international events.

The details regarding the financial assistance provided under the scheme to the States/UTs, during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Maharashtra, are enclosed at Annex-A.

Also this Ministry has recognized Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, Vadodra, Gujarat and Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal as Centres of Excellence in the field of tribal art & culture and language & literature respectively. Fund is released to these institutions for undertaking activities in respective areas. In addition to the above, this Ministry has launched Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana as a strategic approach in 2014-15 and one of the activities of this strategy is to thrust on promotion of tribal culture.

(c) & (d): It is a Central Sector Scheme and 100% grants are funded through this Ministry for selected activities. As the grants are released to the State Government for activities including research and evaluation study, documentation, museum etc. number of beneficiaries are not available in this Ministry.

(e):          Release of grants is an ongoing process and grants under the scheme to the State Governments are released on receipt of Utilization Certificate and Physical Progress Report  of the previous grants and keeping in view the GFR provisions subject to availability of funds under the scheme in a particular financial year.

ANNEX-A

Statement referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha USQ No. 2251 for 03.08.2015.

(Rs in lakh)

| S. No.    | Name of State/TRIs   |  Funds released under the scheme of ‘GIA to TRIs’   |  Funds released under the scheme of ‘GIA to TRIs’   |  Funds released under the scheme of ‘GIA to TRIs’   |  Funds released under the scheme of ‘GIA to TRIs’   |
|-----------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|           |                      | 2012-13                                             | 2013-14                                             | 2014-15                                             | 2015-16  (As on 29.07.2015)                         |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh       | 23.25                                               | 0.00                                                | 96.50                                               | 0.00                                                |
| 2         | Assam                | 27.56                                               | 60.01                                               | 85.77                                               | **0.00**                                            |
| 3         | Chhattisgarh         | 15.50                                               | 0.00                                                | 164.50                                              | **0.00**                                            |
| 4         | Jharkhand            | **0.00**                                            | **0.00**                                            | **107.10572**                                       | **0.00**                                            |
| 5         | Jammu and Kashmir    | **0.00**                                            | **0.00**                                            | **0.00**                                            | **10.00**                                           |
| 6         | Gujarat              | **0.00**                                            | **16.10**                                           | **69.91353**                                        | **86.53647**                                        |
| 7         | Himachal Pradesh     | **0.00**                                            | **0.00**                                            | **00.00**                                           | 0.00                                                |
| 8         | Karnataka            | 16.00                                               | 29.00                                               | 93.00                                               | **0.00**                                            |
| 9         | Kerala               | 44.93                                               | **0.00**                                            | **45.45**                                           | **0.00**                                            |
| 10        | Madhya Pradesh       | 77.00                                               | 0.00                                                | **157.50**                                          | **78.75**                                           |
| 11        | Maharashtra          | 0.00                                                | 0.00                                                | **58.10**                                           | 0.00                                                |
| 12        | Manipur              | 68.64                                               | 56.50                                               | 151.00                                              | **119.00**                                          |
| 13        | Odisha               | 115.31                                              | 109.8                                               | 305.50075                                           | **0.00**                                            |
| 14        | Rajasthan            | 0.00                                                | 0.00                                                | 34.00                                               | 106.58                                              |
| 15        | Tamilnadu            | 0.00                                                | 0.00                                                | 32.50                                               | 0.00                                                |
| 16        | Telangana            | ---                                                 | --                                                  | 60.16                                               | **0.00**                                            |
| 17        | Tripura              | 28.02                                               | **0.00**                                            | **66.00**                                           | **20.00**                                           |
| 18        | Uttar Pradesh        | 0.00                                                | **0.00**                                            | **00.00**                                           | **0.00**                                            |
| 19        | West Bengal          | 0.00                                                | **0.00**                                            | **73.00**                                           | **43.50**                                           |
| 20        | A&N Island           | **0.00**                                            | **3.00**                                            | **41.00**                                           | **0.00**                                            |
|           | Total                | **416.21**                                          | **274.41**                                          | **1641.00**                                         | **464.37**                                          |