Schedule Tribe
Introduction
As per the census 2011,
The Indian Constitution they make up 8.2% of the
recognizes tribal Indian
communities as 'Scheduled population. Primitive traits,
Tribes' under Schedule geographic isolation,
V and defined as tribes or distinctive cultures, aversion
tribal communities to interaction with the
specified under Article outside world, and economic
342 of the Constitution. backwardness are these
societies' defining traits.
Generally speaking, the STs live in two
separate geographic regions: Central
India and the North-Eastern Area. The
greatest ST populations are found in
Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
According to Census Figures, the Literacy
Introduct rate for STs in India improved from 47.1%
in 2001 to 59% (Male - 68.5 %, Female -
ion 49.40 %) in 2011.
The National Commission for
Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was
established under Article 338 A by the
89th Amendment in 2003.
Constitutional Provisions
• Art. 46: The State is required to safeguard the weaker groups
of the population from social injustice and all sorts of
exploitation, while also promoting their economic and
educational interests, particularly those of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Art. 350: Instruction in mother tongue
• Art.243: Seat reservations in Panchayats
• Art. 275: Grants are made to certain States (STs&SAs)
included in the Constitution's Fifth and Sixth Schedules
• Art. 330: Seats reserved for STs in the Lok Sabha;
• Art. 337: Seats for STs in state legislatures are reserved;
Issues faced by STs
• Loss of ownership: The indigenous people had unrestricted ownership and
management rights over natural resources including land, woods, animals,
water, etc. until the British arrived.
• Tribal sovereignty was superseded by state control as a result of the
rise of industrialization in India and the finding of mineral and other
resources in tribally inhabited areas.
• After gaining independence, the development process gained
momentum, putting more strain on the land and forests.
• As a result, the indigenous people were torn from their traditional moorings
and left without a stable source of income as the ideas of protected forests
and national forests gained popularity.
• Illiteracy: There is no denying that education may help tribal people
improve themselves and increase their involvement in the development
process, but there are still certain barriers that prevent tribal people from
enrolling in school.
• These include cultural beliefs and biases, extreme poverty, a lack of interest
Issues faced by STs
• Displacement and Rehabilitation: Following
independence, the core sector and heavy industries
were the main areas of development.
• The government's acquisition of tribal territory for these
projects resulted in the widespread eviction of the
indigenous inhabitants.
• The tribal areas of West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, and the Chhotanagpur region suffered the
worst.
Issues faced by STs
• Exploitation: The position of women has been
impacted by the deterioration of the natural
environment, notably as a result of the clearing of
forests and a fast-diminishing resource base.
• Tribal men and women have been exposed to the brutal
practices of the market economy as a result of the
opening of the tribal belts to mining, industries, and
commercialization, which has led to consumerism
and the commoditization of women.
Issues faced by STs
• Erosion of identity: Tribal members are becoming
increasingly concerned about maintaining their identity
as their traditional institutions and laws clash with
contemporary institutions.
• Another issue to be concerned about is the
disappearance of tribal languages and dialects, which in
certain places is a sign of a loss of tribal identity.
PVTGs
• PVTGs are less developed among the tribals. There
are 75 PVTGs residing in 18 States and UT of A&N
Islands. In 1973, the Dhebar Commission first
recognised them as Primitive Tribal Groups. In 2006, the
Government renamed the PTGs as Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• Basic characteristics of PVTGs - They are
mostly homogenous, with a small population,
relatively physically isolated, absence of written
language, etc.
Schemes for Schedule Tribe
• Educational Empowerment
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools: To provide quality
education to tribal children in remote areas.
• Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools: To introduce digital
technology in tribal schools for improved education outcomes.
• Post Matric Scholarship (PMS): The programme includes
correspondence courses that address distance and continuing
education as well as professional, technical, and non-professional
courses at various levels.
• Top Class Education for ST Students: To provide quality
higher education opportunities to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students.
Economic Empowerment
• Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana: To promote
sustainable livelihoods among tribal populations by
utilizing forest resources.
• Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana: Holistic development of
tribal communities by addressing their basic needs.
• Vocational Training Centres in Tribal Areas: To
impart skill development and vocational training to
tribal youth.
Social Empowerment
• Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTGs): To uplift the socio-economic
conditions of the most vulnerable tribal communities.
• Special Central Assistance to Tribal Subplan: The
State Government receives Special Central Assistance
(SCA) from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as an addition to
the State TSP.
• SCA is primarily intended for income-generation plans
that prioritize supporting families in the agricultural,
horticultural, and animal husbandry sectors.
Legislative Measures
• SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act): It prevents the perpetration of atrocities against
members of conscripted castes and conscripted tribes.
• Further, it provides for the establishment of special courts for trial of such crimes, relief
and rehabilitation of victims of such crimes.
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,
2006: It acknowledges the rights of tribal communities that live in forests and other
traditional forest dwellers to the forest resources on which these societies depended for a
range of purposes, such as subsistence, housing, and other sociocultural requirements.
• The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the scheduled Areas) Act, 1996: It is a
legislation that was passed by the Indian government to cover "Scheduled areas" that are
not covered by the Panchayati Raj Act or the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution.
• It allowed Gram Sabhas to manage their own natural resources. It is an Act to provide
provisions for the Scheduled Areas to get the benefits of Part IX of the Constitution's
panchayat-related provisions.
Recommendations of various committees for Tribes
•Dhebar commission (1960): Xaxa Committee Mungekar Report
•Provide the mid-day meal, recommendations for welfare •The Gram Sabha should become
clothing, free book, reading and of STs fully functional.
writing materials, etc. to all the •Empower Tribes Advisory •Participatory Approach of
tribal children in backward Council. Programme Implementation
areas, opening of schools in •Ensure due share in socio- should be a compulsory pre-
localities where there were at economic progress for tribals, requisite for programme
least 30 school-going children, including facilities like health, implementation.
adjustment of timing, vacations, education, livelihood, drinking •Review land laws
and holidays of schools to suit water, sanitation, roads, •Devolution of powers and avoid
the tribal social and cultural life, electricity and sustainable misuse of power in tribal areas
create an atmosphere of tribal income. •Health crisis in Tribal areas
culture in the schools etc. •Reservation for tribal women, should be handled on priority
Prevention of tribal land basis
alienation
•Teachers for schools in the tribal
regions should be recruited
locally, teacher training,
curriculum, policy of multilingual
education, so that early learning
is conducted in the local
language.
Institutional Measures
• National Commission for STs: The Constitution (89th Amendment) Act of 2003
amended Article 338 and added a new Article 338A, establishing the National
Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
• It was established with the primary purpose of improving the economic
standing of the nation's Scheduled Tribes by providing the target population
with preferential financial aid through its different programs.
• The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
(NSTFDC): an apex organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, was
established in 2001.
• It aimed at enhancing the economic status of the nation's Scheduled Tribes by
providing the target population with preferential financial assistance through its
various programs.
• TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India): To promote
the socio-economic development of tribal communities through marketing support.
Way forward
• Commissions can facilitate online reporting and prosecution of crimes. By
creating a simplified SOP and making it available in local languages ??at all police
stations.
• Commissions can help build the capacity of lawyers, judges, and police officers.
This ensures discreet correspondence with registered caste members.
• The Commissions may offer rewards for a department's or organization's work
that exhibits innovation, effectiveness, or good impact.
• An improved framework for organized engagement with civil society
organizations working on these communities' problems may be created by the
Commission.
• The Commission has the ability to pinpoint societal norms that encourage
discrimination and can work with the government and civil society to plan
discussions, hearings, and awareness raising activities.
Conclusion
Real empowerment can
only be achieved by
In India, there are other
building sensitive,
factors like jobs, programs,
compassionate societies
and law enforcement that
that are aware of their
can guarantee social
need to act to end the
representation equity and
suffering and shame of
access to dignity.
disadvantaged and
exploited groups.
THANK YOU
