Building an Inclusive India Through Tribal Empowerment
Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ budget tripled from rupees 4,498 crore to rupees 13,000 crore; total tribal spending across 42 ministries grew five-fold to ₹1,24,908 crore under DAPST over the last decade
25.11 lakh tribal families received Forest Rights Act titles
479 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are educating 1.38 lakh tribal students; 1.56 crore students received scholarships for higher education and Rs. 16,216.22 crore was disbursed for the scholarship schemes (2019-20 to 2024-25)
VDVKs generated ₹129.86 crore in combined sales; global recognition through Aadi Mahotsav.
‘As we celebrate Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, let our sensitivity and compassion for society deepen. Let us commit to including every member of our community—the poor, the Dalits, the backward, the tribals—and advance together with this resolution.”
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 15, 2024
On this World Tribal Day (August 9) —officially known as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, established by the United Nations—India exemplifies transformative empowerment of tribal communities. India’s 10.42 crore tribal peoples are among the 47.6 crore indigenous peoples across 90 countries.
The Government of India is dedicated to the betterment of India’s Scheduled Tribe communities. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ budget has nearly tripled over the past decade, rising from Rs. 4,497.96 crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 13,000 crore in 2024-25, while its flagship programs demonstrate the government’s commitment to “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas”—ensuring no tribal community is left behind in India’s development journey.
Forty-two ministries or departments allocate from 4.3 percent to 17.45 percent of their budget each year for tribal development under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes. DAPST encompasses over 200 schemes across key sectors including education, health, agriculture, skill development, livelihoods and sanitation. Funding for DAPST increased more than five-fold over the decade, rising from Rs. 21,525.36 crore in 2013-14 (actual expenditure) to Rs. 1.25 lakh crore in 2024-25.
Expenditure under DAPST during last the 5 years made by the central ministries and departments is as follows:
Year
Expenditure (Rs. in crore)
2020-21
48,084.10
2021-22
82,530.58
2022-23
90,972.76
2023-24
1,03,452.77
2024-25
1,04,436.24 (Provisional)
India has made significant strides in empowering tribal communities through various Ministry of Tribal Affairs schemes and initiatives.
Development Programs
The Government of India addresses developmental gaps in infrastructure and education, and promotes tribal cultures and safeguards tribal rights through various flagship schemes and initiatives.
PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan: Program for Tribal Village Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s largest tribal village development program on October 2, 2024, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Also known as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, the program has a budget of Rs. 79,156 crore and involves 17 line ministries collaborating to bridge critical gaps in social infrastructure, healthcare, education, and livelihoods in approximately 63,843 tribal-majority villages and Aspirational Districts (112 of India’s most underdeveloped districts) through March 31, 2029,with PIB Delhi inputs.
