• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand on October 2.

• It is aimed at ensuring comprehensive and holistic development for tribal communities across the country. 

• The scheme received Union Cabinet approval on September 18.

Scheduled Tribes in India

• The population of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the country, as per Census 2011 is 10.45 crore.

• STs constitute 8.6 per cent of the country’s total population and 11.3 percent of the total rural population. Population of ST males is 5.25 crore and ST females is 5.20 crore. 

• There are over 700 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different states and Union Territories of the Country. Many tribes are notified in more than one state/UT. 

• The list of Scheduled Tribes is state/UT specific and a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a state, need not be so in another state/UT. 

• As per Census figures, literacy rate for STs in India improved from 47.1 per cent in 2001 to 59 per cent in 2011.

Criteria for inclusion in ST List:

The criteria followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are:

i) Indications of primitive traits

ii) Distinctive culture

iii) Geographical isolation

iv) Shyness of contact with the community at large

v) Backwardness. 

• These criteria are not spelt out in the Constitution but have become well established and accepted. It takes into account the definitions in the 1931 Census, the reports of the first Backward Classes Commission (Kalelkar), 1955, the Advisory Committee on Revision of SC/ST Lists (Lokur Committee), 1965 and the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Bill, 1967 and Chanda Committee, 1969.

• The government of India on June 15, 1999 (as further amended on June 25, 2002) approved modalities for deciding claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying List of STs. 

• Accordingly, only those proposals which have been recommended and justified by concerned state government/UT administration can be processed further. Thereafter, it has to be concurred with by Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for consideration for amendment of legislation.

Implementation of Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan

• The total outlay of the programme is Rs 79,156 crore (central share of Rs 56,333 crore and state share Rs 22,823 crore).

• It will cover around 63,000 villages benefitting more than 5 crore tribal people. 

• It will cover 549 districts and 2,740 blocks spread across all tribal majority villages across 30 states/UTs.

• It aims to attain saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education and livelihood through 25 interventions implemented by various 17 ministries and departments of the government.

• DAJGUA envisions saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, livelihood, through different schemes of the government by convergence and outreach to ensure holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities.

• Each ministry/department would be responsible for implementation of the  schemes related to it in a time bound manner through funds allocated to them under Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) in next five years.

Goals of the programme:

Goal 1 - Developing Enabling Infrastructure:

i) Pucca house for eligible households with other entitlements: Eligible ST household shall have access to pucca housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) with availability of tapped water (Jal Jeevan Mission) and electricity supply (Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme). Eligible ST households shall also have access to Ayushman Bharat Card (PMJAY).

ii) Improving Village infrastructure: Ensuring all weather road connectivity to ST majority villages (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana), provide access to mobile connectivity  (BharatNet) and internet, infrastructure for improving health, nutrition, and education (National Health Mission, Samagra Shiksha and Poshan).

Goal 2 - Promotion of Economic Empowerment:

iii) Skill development entrepreneurship promotion and enhanced livelihood (self-employment): Providing access to training (Skill India Mission/Jan Shikshan Sansthan) and ensuring that ST boys/girls get access to long-term skill courses after 10th/12th standard every year. Further, marketing support through Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centre (TMMC), Tourist Home Stays and Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery support for Forest Rights Act (FRA) patta holders.

Goal 3 - Universalisation of Access to Good Education:

iv) Education: To increase gross enrolment ratio to the national levels in school and higher education and to make quality education affordable and accessible to ST students (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) by setting up tribal hostels in schools at district/block level.

Goal 4 - Healthy lives and Dignified Ageing:

v) Health: To ensure enhanced access to quality health facilities to ST households, reach towards the national standards in Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate and coverage of immunisation through mobile medical units in areas where sub-centre is more than 10 km in plain areas and 5 kms in hilly areas (National Health Mission). 

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