Ministry of Tribal Affairs Schemes for Scheduled Tribes Development

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed Rajya Sabha about the Ministry's implementation of several major schemes for socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes, with detailed state-wise funding and physical outcomes for the last five financial years.

Educational Initiatives

The Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) program aims to provide quality residential education up to Class XII, with one school envisaged for every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons. Against a target of 728 schools, 479 are currently functional. Cumulative enrolment has increased significantly from 92,075 students in 2020-21 to 138,336 students in 2024-25. Total funds released for EMRS have grown from ₹92,239.38 lakh in 2020-21 to ₹4,05,386.59 lakh in 2024-25, with major allocations to states including Chhattisgarh (₹75,241.68 lakh), Jharkhand (₹63,365.39 lakh), and Odisha (₹60,184.05 lakh).

Scholarship programs include Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students in Classes IX and X and Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students pursuing higher education, both with state-wise funds released and beneficiary data provided in annexures.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Initiatives

The Pradhan Mantri Janjan Jati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) was launched on November 15, 2023, for saturation of basic facilities among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) through convergence of 9 line Ministries. This includes provision of Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) for livelihood and skill infrastructure, with ₹9,999.98 lakh released in 2023-24 and ₹9,968.01 lakh in 2024-25 for MPCs across states.

Under PM-JANMAN, 540 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned, benefiting 46,042 persons with ₹2,302.25 lakh sanctioned and ₹1,165.38 lakh released. Additionally, the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) has sanctioned 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras benefiting 12,48,067 members with ₹45,236.37 lakh released.

Development Funding Programs

Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution provide grant-in-aid to States for promoting welfare of Scheduled Tribes, with funds growing from ₹79,969.55 lakh in 2020-21 to ₹1,17,057 lakh in 2024-25. Major recipient states include Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) serves as an apex financial institution providing concessional credit for livelihood activities, with loan disbursements totaling ₹36,790 lakh benefiting 169,539 beneficiaries in 2020-21, growing to ₹37,327.70 lakh benefiting 88,758 beneficiaries in 2024-25.

Research and Institutional Support

Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) has involved 3,505 activities/projects sanctioned with cumulative financial outlay of approximately ₹1,072.31 crore, including 1,188 research studies, 868 training programs, and 140 institutional building projects. The TRI-ECE scheme has engaged more than 75 institutions as Centers of Excellence undertaking over 100 research projects.

New Initiatives

The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) was launched in 2024, subsuming PMAAGY, for holistic development of tribal-majority villages through convergence of 17 Ministries/Departments and 25 interventions covering over 63,000 villages. Funds released totaled ₹477.63 crore in 2024-25 and ₹433.54 crore in 2025-26, with major allocations to Maharashtra (₹165.92 crore), Jharkhand (₹88.95 crore), and Odisha (₹174.22 crore in 2024-25).

Monitoring and Implementation Framework

The Ministry has established an online monitoring system at https://stcmis.gov.in that captures data directly from the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) to monitor expenditure versus allocations. Funds allocated under DAPST are shown under minor head '796' to ensure non-divertibility. Regular meetings with obligated Ministries/Departments are conducted to review implementation, allocation, and expenditure of DAPST funds, with nodal officers appointed in respective Ministries/Departments. For PM JANMAN, a dedicated digital dashboard enables district-wise monitoring of key performance indicators across converging Ministries/Departments.