Ministry of Tribal Affairs has recently released an annual report.
What are the findings?
The tribal population in India lags behind other social groups on various social parameters.
Health -Tribal population, with a vast majority engaged in agricultural labour, has the largest number of anaemic women.
The community also registered the highest child mortality and infant mortality rates, when compared to other social groups.
At an all-India level, there is a shortfall of 6,796 Sub Centres, 1267 Primary Health Centres and 309 Community Health Centres in tribal areas as on March 2015.
Education -While educational achievements on the whole have improved, the Report shows that the gross enrolment ratio among tribal students in the primary school level has declined in 2015-16.
The dropout rate among tribal students has been at an alarming level.
While the overall poverty rates among the tribal population have fallen compared to previous years, they remain relatively poorer when weighed against other social groups.
Rehabilitation - Out of an estimated 85 lakh persons displaced due to development projects and natural calamities, only less than 25%have been rehabilitated so far.
In 2014, the Central government initiated the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana for the holistic development and welfare of tribal population on a pilot basis.
The Report points out that the token budgetary provisions being made under the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana is minuscule and barely sufficient to meet the purpose of the Scheme given that it intends to cover 27 States across the country.
The Ministry has emphasised that more funds be provided for the Scheme from the year 2016-17 onwards.
What is Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana?
It was launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs in 2014.
The Scheme mainly focuses on bridging infrastructural gaps and gap in human development indices between Schedule tribes and other social groups.
It also envisages to focus on convergence of different schemes of development of Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments with outcome oriented approach.
It aims to improve the quality of life in tribal areas, quality of education, qualitative and sustainable employment for tribal families and protection of tribal culture and heritage.
