Empowering tribes

Schemes introduced to strengthen foothold of STs

As per Census 2011, Scheduled Tribes (STs) form 8.6 per cent of the country’s population i.e. 10.45 crore. Since independence, efforts have been made to ensure that the tribal people were included in the growth process.

Central and State Governments have been taking various initiatives for socio-economic upliftment of tribal population of the country. After 52 years of independence, a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs was set up under the visionary leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 with the objective for more focussed approach on integrated socio-economic development of the STs in a coordinated and planned manner.

In this year’s budget, Finance Minister has stated that, “Present top leadership of this country has reached at this level after seeing poverty at close quarters. Our leadership is familiar with the problems; being faced by the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Caste (ST), Backward Classes and economically weaker sections of the society.

He added, “People belonging to poor and middle class are not case studies for them, on the other hand they themselves are the case study.”

Allocation of Business Rules (ABR) has been amended whereby Ministry of Tribal Affairs has now been mandated to monitor ‘Tribal Sub-Plan’ (now called as Scheduled Tribe Component) funds of Central Ministries based on the framework and mechanism designed by NITI Aayog.

The allocation under Scheduled Tribe Component (STC) was increased from Rs 21,811 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 32,508 crore in RE 2017-18. In the BE of 2018-19, Rs 39,135 crore has been allocated under STC for the welfare of ST.

During the budget 2018-19, five new Ministries have been included in the STC and now there are 37 Central Ministries and departments having STC funds catering to specific tribal development in various sectors through 297 different schemes.

An online monitoring system has been put in place as well.The framework envisages monitoring of allocations for welfare of STs under the schemes, monitoring of expenditure vis-a- vis allocations, monitoring of physical performance and outcome monitoring.

The framework also envisages to capture location wise details to ensure accountability and targeted spending.

In order to consistently improve public service delivery, Ministry of Tribal Affairs continuously reviews various schematic initiatives; the recent one being rationalisation of scholarship schemes, onboarding of scheme on DBT and online portal for NGO Grants.