India workshop on Multilingual Education Tribal situation in India Challenges

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India workshop on Multilingual Education
Tribal situation in IndiaChallenges
optionsBharat LalDirectorMinistry of Tribal
AffairsGovernment of India
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Who are the Scheduled Tribes ?
Communities are notified as ST under Article 342
of the Constitution based on the following
Characteristics
- Primitive Traits - Geographically isolated -
Distinct culture - Shyness of contact with
community at large - Economically backward
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1991 Census
50.66 of the total STs population is in
Scheduled Areas
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ST 1961 6.85 1971 6.93 1981 7.53 1991
8.01 2001 8.20
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POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE ()
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Tribal Populations remain Under-served
Many tribal habitats are inaccessible.
Consequently, effects of development are either
lacking or are sub-standard. Abject poverty of
the tribal people is resultant and compounds the
problem. According to the development indicators
prepared by the Planning Commission, about 35 of
STs are below the poverty line.
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Ministry of Tribal Affairs

• Functions
• Created in 1999, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is
  the Nodal Ministry for overall policy, planning
  and coordination of programmes of development for
  STs, Research, Scheduled Areas V VI,
  Scheduling and de-scheduling of tribes, Promotion
  of voluntary efforts in tribal development
• However, for sectoral programmes, such as health,
  education, poverty alleviation, women child
  development etc., the concerned Central Ministry
  continues to administer their programmes and
  schemes of their Ministries for STs also

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Vision

• Socio- economic advancement of the STs to
  bring them to the level of the rest of the
  community, while simultaneously conserving their
  cultural traditions to suit their own genius

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Constitutional Guarantees
The country has special concern and commitment
for the well being of the Socially Disadvantaged
Groups For the protection of Scheduled Tribes
and for their socio-economic and political
development, the Constitution of India has
provided for certain social, economic and
political guarantees
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Main concerns / issues

• Lack of awareness regarding distinct problems of
  STs often clubbing them with other
  disadvantaged groups.
• Low level of HDI as compared to rest of the
  population.
• Poor infrastructure leading to low capacity of
  the economy in tribal areas to effectively absorb
  institutional finance.
• Inaccessibility of tribal areas and tough
  terrain, mostly forests.
• The FCA, 1980, often restricts the developmental
  activities.
• Non marketability of social sector programmes
  leading to increased vulnerability in liberalized
  economy.
• Food scarcity in spite of surplus food production

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Main concerns / issues (contd.)

• Non adoption of TSP approach by various
  Ministries/ States.
• Non convergence of Developmental Schemes at
  planning/ Implementation level
• Non adoption of single line administration
• Inability of States to contribute 50 in
  Centrally Sponsored schemes.
• Unrest in one form or the other in most of the
  tribal areas.
• At the present rate of accelerated economic
  growth, especially infrastructure development in
  the country vis-à-vis the Tribal Areas, the gap
  is widening at a much faster rate.

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Challenges

• Will of the Government notwithstanding,
  populations in remote and low-density areas, in
  general, do not have adequate access to basic
  amenities, education, employment opportunities
  and affordable health care services.
• Most Tribal populations often have high levels of
  morbidity arising from poor nutrition,
  particularly in situations where they are
  involuntarily displaced or resettled.
• Frequently, they have low levels of literacy,
  coupled with high infant, child, and maternal
  mortality.
• In other words, they remain one of the major
  under-served population groups in the country.

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Recent initiatives
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Task Force for development for STs

• A Task Force to address tribal issues relating to
  Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
  Tribes on selected agenda items in the NCMP was
  set up.
• Pursuant to the decision of the said Task Group,
  an Inter-Ministerial sub-Group on Scheduled
  Tribes under the Chairmanship of Secretary,
  Tribal Affairs, suggested measures for overall
  development of STs and submitted report to the
  Planning Commission.

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Funding

• Budget allocation of the Ministry for 2004-05 was
  Rs.1146.00 crore
• The Budget allocation of various Plan schemes/
  programmes of the Ministry for 2005-06 is
  Rs.1498.82 crore An increase of 30.78 .
• Cluster based approach for development is being
  adopted in the thrust areas to focus on the
  creation of such infrastructure in the tribal
  areas, which enhances production capacity of the
  land and ensures value-addition right at the
  grass root level.

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Assistance to States

• Assistance to States for focussed projects with
  specific activities and outputs
• Change in approach assistance to Self-help
  groups
• Apart from these, funds under SCA to TSP to the
  tune of Rs. 497 crore and Rs.330 crore under
  Article 275 (1) are to be used for income
  generation/employment and creation of critical
  infrastructure under a revised strategy focusing
  on thrust areas and area approach.
• Steps have been taken to bring synergy with other
  line/ sectoral ministries/ departments

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Development of Forest Villages

• Development of long neglected forest villages
  without proper infrastructure, have been taken up
  as focussed area.
• Rs. 230 crore (over and above the existing Rs.
  497 crore for Development of Forest Villages,
  under SCA to TSP in 2005-06
• Fund released to 5 States
• Project proposals from other 9 States have been
  sought

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Minor Irrigation for STs land

• Irrigation facilities to STs for their meagre
  lands is very poor
• Forced to adopt subsistence agriculture
• Poor irrigation facilities as a major cause
  leading to poor economic condition
• In 2005-06, Rs. 50 crores, over above the
  existing Rs. 330 crore for Minor Irrigation,
  under the Article 275 (1) of the Constitution
• Full amount have been released to States

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Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship

• A new higher education oriented scheme to provide
  fellowships for M. Phil. and Ph. D courses has
  been conceived and Rs. 8.8 crore for the same has
  been provided in 2005-06.
• The scheme is in the process of finalisation.

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IEC campaign

• Documentaries on various tribes of the country
  are being telecast on DD-1 every Friday at 9 AM
  under the title Janjatiya Darpan to create
  awareness about our rich tribal heritage.
• A quarterly Newsletter Janjatiya Jagran started
• This is send up to the level of Panchayats having
  STs population to disseminate information on
  various development programmes being implemented
  by the Ministry for the welfare of Scheduled
  Tribes.

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Assistance to NGOs

• Since 2005-06, powers to receive, examine and
  approve projects for assistance to NGOs/
  voluntary sector have been delegated to States
• Fund is allocated to States in accordance to the
  STs population
• This involves State Governments in the sector and
  brings transparency

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Tribal Policy and Scheduled Tribes (Recognition
of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005

• A new National Tribal Policy is being formulated
• This Ministry is in the process of finalizing a
  Draft Bill titled the Scheduled Tribes
  (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill to recognize
  certain rights of Scheduled Tribes living in
  forests.
• The Draft Bill is pending consideration of the
  Cabinet

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• Thank you