• The government has announced Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission in the Union Budget 2023-24. 

• It was announced for implementing targeted schemes for socially and economically backward Scheduled Tribes. 

• About Rs 15,000 crore will be made available to implement the Mission in the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes, Minister of State for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment A. Narayanaswamy said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

• The mission is aimed to improve socio-economic conditions of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) by saturating PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities.

These include:

• Safe housing.

• Clean drinking water and sanitation.

• Improved access to education.

• Health and nutrition.

• Road and telecom connectivity.

• Sustainable livelihood opportunities. 

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• Scheduled Tribe communities live in various ecological and geo-climatic conditions ranging from plains and forests to hills. Tribal groups are at different stages of social, economic and educational development. 

• While some tribal communities have adopted a mainstream way of life, at the other end of the spectrum, there are certain Scheduled Tribes, 75 in number known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) who were earlier termed as Primitive Tribal Groups, whose characteristics have been covered under the Section on the Scheme for Conservation and Development of PVTGs.

The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are:

i) A pre-agriculture level of technology

ii) A stagnant or declining population

iii) Low literacy

iv) A subsistence level of economy.

• The PVTGs, like other tribal groups, are eligible for the benefits of all the schemes of the government of India and state governments that are available to the general population, as well as schemes under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) of states and central government.

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