By Rusen Kumar

The Budget Outlay of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) focuses on providing comprehensive support to the upliftment and empowerment of tribal communities across India.

Introduction

The Budget for FY 2023-24 was announced recently with a focus on tribal affairs. The overall outlay for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was increased by 70.69% to Rs. 12,461.88 crore compared to the previous year’s Revised Estimate (RE) of Rs. 7,301.00 crore. The government has taken various steps for the development of tribals under Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) with an allocation of Rs. 1,17,943.73 crore for 2023-24.

Role of Ministry

Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the overall policy, planning and coordination of programs for the development of the Scheduled Tribes. The programs and schemes of the Ministry support and supplement, through financial assistance, the efforts of other Central Ministries, the State Governments, and voluntary organizations, and fill critical gaps taking into account the needs of Scheduled Tribes. To enable the Ministry to achieve its objectives, there has been enhanced budgetary allocation for the Ministry Tribal Affairs for welfare of STs over the years. The budget allocation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been substantially increased from Rs.4295.94 crore in 2013-14 to Rs.12461.88 crore in 2023-24 i.e. an increase of around 190.01 %.

Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST)

Under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) now known as Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST), besides Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 41 Ministries/ Departments are allocating funds in the range of 4.3 to 17.5 per cent of their total scheme allocation every year for tribal development projects relating to education, health, agriculture, irrigation, roads, housing, electrification, employment generation, skill development, etc. DAPST fund allocation has increased about five and half times since 2013-14 (from Rs.21,525.36 crore (Actual Expenditure) in 2013-14 to Rs.1,17,943.73 crore in BE 2023-24).

Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission

The Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission is aimed at saturating PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water, improved access to education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities. An allocation of Rs. 15,000 crore will be made for this mission in the next three years.

National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission

The National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission is to be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with ICMR and the states concerned. The mission will cover preventive, curative and management aspects of this genetic disease in an integrated manner.

Central Recruitment of Teachers for Ekalavya Model Residential Schools

A total of 38,000 teachers and support staff will be recruited in the next few years for the Ekalavya Model Residential Schools, which will benefit 3.5 lakh tribal students.

Increased Allocations

The budget allocation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been substantially increased from Rs.4295.94 crore in 2013-14 to Rs.12461.88 crore in 2023-24 i.e. an increase of around 190.01 %.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the overall policy, planning, and coordination of programs for the development of the Scheduled Tribes. The budget allocation for DAPST has increased about five and a half times since 2013-14.

The Scheme-wise allocation for 2023-24 is as under


Name of Scheme	BE2023-24
SCA to TSP (Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna-PMAAGY)	1485.00
Grants under Article 275 (1)	1472.10
Grants to ASSAM Govt.under clause (a) of the Second proviso to Article 275 (1) of the Constitution	0.01
Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)	5943.00
Aid to Voluntary Organizations working for the Scheduled Tribes	140.00
Marketing and Logistics Development for Promoting Tribal Products from North-Eastern Region	20.00
Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)	288.49
Venture Capital Fund for STs	30.00
Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTGs)	256.14
Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs)	118.64
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST students	145.00
Scholarship to the ST Students for Studies Abroad	4.00
Pre-Matric Scholarship	411.63
Post-Matric Scholarship	1970.77
Tribal Festivals, Research Information & Mass Education [Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication & Events (TRI-ECE)]	25.00
Monitoring and Evaluation (MESSA)	23.00
Administrative Cost to States/ UTs.	53.22
Total (Schemes)	12386.00

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs’ View

Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, congratulated the Finance Minister for declaring a comprehensive budget that focuses on tribal affairs and related concerns. He stated that the budget emphasizes the provision of various benefits and equal opportunities for tribals in remote regions of our country and the Ministry has prepared a roadmap for the upliftment, empowerment, and welfare of tribals.

Socio-Economic Improvements of Scheduled Tribes

The focus of the government has been the overall development of Scheduled Tribes and bringing them at par with the other communities in the country. There have been considerable improvements in the socio-economic conditions of the Scheduled Tribes, for example, the literacy rate for STs has improved from 59% (Census) in 2011 to 71.6% (as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report), reducing the gap between overall and ST literacy from 14 percent between 2001-2011 to 7.5 percent between 2011-2021. The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at the upper primary level has improved from 91.3 (2013-14) to 98 (2021-22); GER for ST students at the secondary level (IX-X) has increased from 70.2 (2013-14) to 78.1 (2021-22); GER for ST students at the senior secondary level (XI-XII) has increased from 35.4 (2013-14) to 52.

Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs)

Rs.2911.69 crore has been allocated for EMRSs for the development of tribal students. The EMRSs will provide high-quality education with state-of-the-art infrastructure, and facilities to the tribal children. The schools will be set up in areas with more than 50% tribal population and 20,000 or more tribal persons.

National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC)

Rs.150 crore has been allocated for NSTFDC, which is a national-level development corporation for the upliftment and financial inclusion of the STs. The corporation provides loans for self-employment and income-generating activities to STs.

Tribal Research and Training Institutes (TRTIs)

Rs.45 crore has been allocated for the development of TRTIs, which is a premier research institute for tribal studies and research in the country. The TRTIs aim to promote the study of tribal life, culture, and heritage, and to suggest ways and means of tribal development.

Livelihood for tribal families

In line with the priorities announced in the Budget, special focus will be given for providing remunerative livelihood to tribal families. A provision of Rs.288 crore has been made to be implemented through TRIFED, through formation of Self Help Groups and producer enterprises.

Special attention will be given to form more Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, to function in cooperative mode. Organic farming, medicinal plants, millets and food processing will be the important areas, to be done through these tribal self help groups, apart from skill-development and craft-training, with appropriate credit and marketing facilities.

Scholarship to ST Student

Rs.2531 crore has been provided for giving scholarship to ST students studying from class IX up to Ph.D levels.

PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana

Rs.1485 crore provided for comprehensive development of villages with significant tribal population.

Grant Support to States

Rs.1472 crore is provided for giving grants to States with ST population for development of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been allocated a substantial amount in the Budget 2023-24, which will significantly benefit the tribals in remote regions of the country. The allocation of Rs.12461.88 cr is a testament to the government’s commitment to the upliftment, empowerment, and welfare of the tribals. The emphasis on the provision of equal opportunities and various benefits for tribals, the increased allocation for Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission, National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission, Ekalavya Model Residential Schools, and other schemes will bring a positive impact on the lives of tribals and help bridge the gap between them and the other communities.