Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Year End Review 2016

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Following are the highlights of the activities of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs during the year 2016.

  1. Budget: 70% of the Ministry’s budget for 2016-17 has already been released. This includes SCA (Special Central Assistance) to TSP, grants under Article 275(1), special projects of PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) and NGOs, various Scholarships and other schemes.
  1. TSP monitoring: Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) approach is being followed for channelization of funds and benefits from all sectors of development in the Annual Plans of States/UTs & Central Ministries/Departments.  There are 28 Central Ministries and Departments having TSP component. Tribal Sub Plan will be monitored by MoTA as per PMO decision dated 11.11.2016. For this, online monitoring system is being developed based upon NITI Aayog monitoring framework.
  1. Progress under Forest Rights Act (FRA): The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 aims to vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded. We have paid special attention to proper implementation of this. As per information received from State Governments till October 2016, about 16.78 lakh individual (Forest Rights) titles have been granted over an area of 55.43 lakh acres of forest land. Further, 48,192 community (Forest Rights) titles have been distributed over an area of about 47 lakh acres of forest land.
  1. Revision of list of Scheduled Tribes: The Constitution (Puducherry) Scheduled Tribes Order, 2016 (C O No. 268) has received the assent of Hon’ble President of India on 22.12.2016 and was published in Gazette of India on 22.12.2016. Accordingly, Irular (including Villi and Vettaikaran) has been identified as Scheduled Tribe in Puducherry vide the said Order.

Further, to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Tripura, a bill namely the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment), Bill 2016 has been introduced in Lok Sabha during the recent Winter Session of the Parliament.

  1. Education: Education is the greatest determinant of social mobility. Government is implementing various schemes and providing scholarships for education of  STs:-

5.1   13,340 new seats have been created in ST hostels and Ashrams Schools during last two years 2014-15 and 2015-16.
5.2   Funds have also been provided to the State Governments as Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution for creation of 40,000 additional hostel seats during 2014-15 and 2015-16.
5.3   During last two years 2014-15 and 2015-16, 63 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) with total capacity for 30,240 ST students @ 480 students per school, have been sanctioned.

5.4   For about 50,000 students studying in Eklavya Model Residential Schools, recurring funds of Rs. 630 crore has been provided in the last two and a half years @ Rs. 42000/- per student per year.

5.5   In each year, about Rs 200 cr. has been released as pre-matric scholarships to benefit about 10 lakh ST students studying in classes IX and X.

5.6   In each year, about Rs 750 cr. has been released as post-matric scholarships to benefit about 20 lakh ST students.

  1. Skill Development: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is collaborating with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to build a framework suited to the need and requirement of tribal people. It is planned for setting up one Multi-Skilling Institute in each of 163 priority (tribal concentrated) districts. Infrastructure funding will be shared by Ministry of Tribal Affairs and State Govt. (50:50). Recurring cost component will be funded by MSDE, under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Details of the collaboration are being worked out.

National Resource Centre on Tribal Livelihood (Vanjeevan): This was launched by Hon’ble Minister on 22nd December in Bhubaneshwar. NRC is housed in NSTFDC (National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation) with UNDP assistance. Vanjeevan will serve as an apex central institution within Ministry of Tribal Affairs to act as research and technical hub to further socio-economic development of tribal communities through comprehensive interaction of the 3Es – employment, employability and entrepreneurship. The resource center would cater to the development and promotion of sustainable livelihood avenues in the tribal areas through entrepreneurship and skill up-gradation. Vanjeevan will also forge linkages and build upon the skill building efforts of the other Central Ministries/ Departments such as Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises etc.

  1. NATIONAL TRIBAL CARNIVAL 2016
  • Ministry of Tribal Affairs successfully organized first ever National Tribal Carnival 2016 from 25-28 October 2016.
  • Hon’ble Prime Minister graced the occasion as Chief Guest and inaugurated the Carnival on 25th October 2016 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
  • Tribal troupes comprising hundreds of tribal artists from all over the country performed Carnival parade in their traditional attire during the inaugural ceremony.
  • Inaugural ceremony was attended by large number of dignitaries and senior officers of Central and State Governments. About 20,000 delegates from across the country also attended the Ceremony.
  • Inaugural function was followed by 3 days (26-28 October 2016) event at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It included Workshops on identified themes viz. PESA, FRA and Reservation in Services, Educational and Political Institutions; exhibition and demonstration of traditional skill in painting, art and craft, medicinal practices, cuisine / food; and cultural programmes through unique form of folk dances and songs from all over the country.
  • The Carnival developed sense of appreciation of Indian cultural diversity amongst citizens. It also showcased glimpses of rich cultural heritage of tribal people, tribal ways of life including their culture, tradition and customs to general population in the country. The Carnival also fostered tribal spirit and a sense of pride amongst tribal populace.

8. Minimum Support Price (MSP) to Minor Forest Produce (MFP): With effect from the year 2013-14, this Ministry has introduced a centrally sponsored scheme of ‘Mechanism for marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Development of Value Chain for MFP’ as a measure of social safety for MFP gatherers, who are primarily member of Scheduled Tribes. The basic objective of the scheme is to ensure fair returns to the MFP gatherers mainly through minimum support price for identified MFP collected by them along with necessary infrastructure at local level. The scheme has been initially implemented in States having areas under V Schedule of the Indian Constitution, namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan for 12 MFP namely (i) Tendu, (ii) Bamboo, (iii) Mahua Seed, (iv) Sal Leaf, (v) Sal Seed, (vi) Lac, (vii) Chironjee, (viii) Wild Honey, (ix) Myrobalan, (x) Tamarind, (xi) Gums (Gum Karaya) and (xii) Karanj.

8.1 Recently, (November 2016) coverage of area of the scheme has been extended beyond Schedule V States and now the scheme is applicable in all States.

8.2   Further, in addition to above mentioned MFP items, the following 14 items are also included in the scheme, namely (i) Kusum Seed, (ii) Neem Seed (iii) Puwad Seed / Chakramard, (iv) Baheda, (v) Hill Broom Grass, (vi) Shikakai, (vii) Guggul (exudate), (viii) Bael (dried and without crust), (ix) Nagarmotha, (x) Palash Kesuda (Flower), (xi) Shatavari (dried), (xii) Madhunashini, (xiii) Kalmegh, (xiv) Tamarind (de-seeded).

8.3  States have also been given freedom for fixing MSP 10% above or below the MSP rate decided by Ministry.

  1. Sickle Cell Anemia: The Ministry has taken initiative to arrest its spread so that sickle cell carriers (patients) can be cared for, and future generations can be saved from this scourge. A protocol for Sickle Cell Management was issued in March 2015 with the objective to control the spread of the disease. In this regard, workshops were conducted in States in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology for mapping of incidence of Sickle Cell Trait and disease among tribal people all over the country through State Governments. About 1.1 crore children and youth have been screened so far.

A revised protocol has been issued to the States in November 2016 after consultation with Department of Health Research. As per this, apart from screening of children and youth, screening of pregnant women is also to be done, and in case one individual is identified in the family, then family members will also be screened. The programme also provides for counseling of sickle cell carriers, and management of patients with sickle cell disease.

  1. Review by Committees

1st meeting of the newly re-constituted Standing Committee for tribal Welfare (SCTW) under the Chairmanship of Union Minister of Tribal Affairs was held on 10th November, 2016 to discuss the specific issues and recommend agenda for discussion at National Council for Tribal Welfare (NCTW) under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The meeting was attended by State Tribal Welfare Ministers from the States of Odisha, A.P., Maharashtra amongst others.

During the year 2016, two meetings of the Consultative Committee were held under the Chairmanship of Union Minister of Tribal Affairs – (i) On 28.04.2016 to discuss issues relating to Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, and (ii) on 08.11.2016 to discuss Vocational Training / Skill Development issues of Scheduled Tribes (STs).

 

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