MINISRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS : ACHIEVMENTS & TARGETS     

1. More than one thousand proposals for inclusion in the list of STs was processed as per procedure established by the Cabinet and 140 cases were selected for inclusion/exclusion/change of name etc. This exercise is done after a gap of nearly five decades. The bill was introduced in the Monsoon season and is referred to House Committee. The target is to pass bill in Parliament with out delay.

2. A separate corporation named National Scheduled Tribe Development and Finance Corporation was established to provide credit to tribal at easy terms. Appointment of non-official directors in the Board is pending with PESB for more than a year. Planning to involve EVAs in channelising loans to tribal beneficiaries.

3. A Commission for Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes was constituted under Article 339 (1) of the Constitution having 11 Members. The tenure of the Commission is for one year. This Commission was constituted after 1960, though it is suppose to be constituted every ten years. Sixty staffs were sanctioned, but Expenditure Deptt. is allowing for 49.

4. The Cabinet has approved establishment of a separate National Commission for STs as per constitutional provisions of article 338. The bill will be introduced in the winter session.

5. With in three years of its establishment, the Ministry has improved scheme-wise expenditure from Rs. 600 Crores to Rs. 1000 Crores. All the schemes were effectively implemented.

6. All the Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes were either modified or on the process of modifications to make them effective, efficient and pragmatic. Modifications is carried out in schemes for 1) Article 275(1)
Modifications in schemes under process for 1) SCA to TSP, 2) PMS, 3) NGO, 4)

7. Draft 10th Five Year Plan was approved by the Cabinet having a separate chapter on Tribal Development implying added emphasis on welfare of tribals in over all planning framework.

8. Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), was making continuous loss and its net worth falls to minimum, but, in the last three years, it is making all efforts to improve its performance.The Authorized Capital is to be increased from Rs. 100 Cr. to Rs. 500 Cr.

Tenure of the non-official tribal directors in the Board is to be enhanced or repeated.

Three Years are enough to fulfill Fifty Years' Pending Works
(MINISRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS:ACHIEVMENTS)

Shri Jual Oram Minister of Tribal Affairs
Govt. of India 31st March, 2003

Though the unique nature of the 'tribal issues' were well recognized by the authors of the Constitution of India, these have to wait for more than half a century to get real attention. A new Ministry of Tribal Affairs was created in October 1999, headed by a cabinet minister, to give focused attention to tribal issues and to plan, administer and supervise programme, projects and schemes for the development and welfare of the tribal communities. Since then, this ministry has taken a number of steps to built a sense of belongingness among the political and government executives on one hand and the tribal community on the other. Some of the important steps taken by the ministry is listed below to highlight the achievements in the past three years.

As Union Tribals Affairs Minister

1. 270 communities were included in the list of Scheduled Tribes by amending the constitution of India (The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act, 2002).

2. Scheduled Area notified in case of newly created states of Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh and the bifurcated state of Madhya Pradesh.

3. A Commission for the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Ares was constituted under the clause (1) of the Article 339 of the Constitution after a gap of forty-two years.

4. A bill has been introduced for passing in the Parliament to create a separate National Commission for Scheduled Tribes having Five members.

5. The Constitution (ST Union Territory) Order Amendment Bill 2003 is introduced in Parliament to give ST status to the children of such parents of Lakhyadweep, whose babies are born in the main land on the medical reason.

6. An exclusive finance corporation, namely, National Scheduled Tribe Finance Development Corporation (NSTFDC) is set up to advance easy loans to tribals to run their own venture to get self-employment and income.

7. The byelaw of Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has been modified as per the Multi State Cooperative Society Act 2002 to address new challenges. The restructuring of TRIFED is under progress based on a Prospective Action Plan.

8. All the welfare schemes (both central sector and centrally sponsored) are either modified or are on the process of modification to make them effective, efficient and pragmatic.

9. Grant-in-aids under the Article 275(1) of the Constitution (Rs. 300 crores per year) is sanctioned, monitored and evaluated project-wise.

10. Special incentive given to Established Voluntary Agencies to undertake welfare projects for tribals.

11. 614 additional NGOs got funding from the Ministry to implement about 900 projects.

Constitutional Safeguards:    

The Constitution of India has provided many safeguards to the tribal communities (political, education & cultural, economic, social and developmental & protective), as they are the weaker section of the society, to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

In order to avail constitutional safeguards and government facilities, a number of communities are declared as Scheduled Tribe (ST) as per Constitutional provisions. Most of the communities were listed as ST in early nineteen fifties. And till the year 2003, few small amendments were carried out to modify the ST list. A massive operation was taken up to confer ST status to hither to left out tribal communities. More than one thousand proposals for inclusion in the list of STs were processed as per procedure established by the Cabinet and 140 cases were selected for inclusion/exclusion/change of name etc.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act, 2002 received the assent of the President of India on 7th January 2003. This exercise is done after a gap of nearly five decades. Paragraph 6 of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for declaration of predominantly tribal area as Scheduled Area, in order to give additional emphasis to its administration and development. Instruments like Tribal Advisory Council (TAC), Governor's Report to the President and Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) are specially designed to provide responsive, need-based and tailored-made administration in these areas. In the year 2000 two new states namely Jharkhand and Chattishgarh were created by the NDA government by bifurcating the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh respectively.

To make available the benefits of the Fifth Scheduled Area to these states, the Scheduled Areas (State of Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) Order, 1977, was amended by an act of Parliament, and, The clause (1) 0f Article 339 of the Constitution provides for appointment of a commission to review the policies, programmes and constitutional safeguards meant for the tribals and advises the government to frame future strategy for the welfare of the tribals. Though this commission is suppose to be set up in a gap of ten years, the only and last such commission was constituted in 1960. A Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission was constituted under the above provisions of the Constitution having 11 Members on 18th July 2002. The tenure of the Commission is for one year. The terms of reference of the Commission is to examine the constitutional provisions, review the functioning of policies, programmes and schemes, scrutinize the tribal sub-plan, examine the social-political and administrative set-up and any other matter connected with the administration of the Scheduled Areas and/or the welfare of STs in the States and Union territories.With a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of SCs and STs and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic, cultural interest, special provision were made in the Constitution and a statutory National Commission for SCs and STs come in to being in 1990. Keeping in view the distinct nature of SC and ST problems, the Cabinet has approved establishment of a separate National Commission for STs as per constitutional provisions of article 338. A bill has been introduced in the winter session of the Parliament.

Welfare/Development Schemes:

All the Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes were either modified or on the process of modifications to make them effective, efficient and pragmatic.Modifications are carried out in the scheme of grant-in-aids under Article 275(1) of the constitution. Unlike past years, grants are now given project-wise with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the STs in the states or raising the level of administration of the Scheduled areas therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that state. In order to improve the institutional set-up for implementation of the provisions of the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), special incentive is given under this scheme to those states who implement the PESA properly.

Grant-in-aids to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) is now given in a transparent and objective manor. However, for funding Established Voluntary Agencies (EVAs), liberal and fast track method is followed. The partnership between the ministry and NGOs have been strengthen in implementing projects in the field of education, health and economic upliftment of tribals. Now there are more than eight hundred NGOs that are implementing thousands of projects in all corners of the country. The ministry is now funding the EVAs for construction of infrastructure as a special incentive for their services to the weaker section of our society.

Institutions Building:

National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance Development Corporation has been bifurcated and a new corporation, namely, National Scheduled Tribes Finance Development Corporation (NSTDFC) set up in April 2001 with Authorised Share Capital of Rs. 500 Crores. This apex organization is created to provide financial assistance at concessional and easy terms to STs for schemes/projects to run income-generating activities. It also provides grants through the State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) for undertaking training programmes for the skill and entrepreneurial development of eligible STs and to upgrade skills of officials of the SCAs through periodic training. In a short span of two years, this corporation has provided terms loan/bridge loans, working capital assistance, special incentive to the SCAs for making 100% timely repayment to NSFDC and has introduced a new scheme for poor and tribal women called Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana.

Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), was making continuous loss and its net worth falls to a minimum, but, in the last three years, it is making all efforts to improve its performance. Now the byelaw of TRIFED is been modified as per the Multi-State Co-Operative Society Act in order to address the changed environment in a globalised and competitive economy and to give leadership to all such co-operatives that deals with marketing of tribal products.