• India is home to over 10.45 crore Scheduled Tribe (ST) individuals, comprising 8.6 per cent of the total population.
• The Union Budget 2025-26 has introduced a historic boost to the welfare and development of India’s tribal communities.
• The Budget 2025 signifies a paradigm shift in tribal development, emphasizing inclusive growth through integrated interventions.
• The government is focusing on tribal empowerment in various sectors, aiming to bring tribal communities into the mainstream of India’s development narrative, enabling them to contribute to and benefit from the country’s progress.
Budget allocation for for tribal welfare:
1) Significant Budget Increase:
• The budget allocation for tribal welfare has surged by 45.79 per cent from Rs 10,237.33 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 14,925.81 crore in 2025-26.
• Over the years, the allocation has increased by an impressive 231.83 per cent from Rs 4,497.96 crore in 2014-15, underscoring the government’s sustained focus on tribal development.
2) Flagship Initiatives:
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): An allocation of Rs 7,088.60 crore to nearly double last year’s funding, aimed at providing quality education to tribal students in remote regions.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission: A 150 per cent increase to Rs 380.40 crore to create income-generating opportunities for tribal communities.
• PMAAGY (Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana): A 163 per cent increase in allocation to Rs 335.97 crore to improve infrastructure in tribal villages with a focus on education, healthcare, and employment. Under PMAAGY, funds are provided to states and Union Territories with Scheduled Tribe populations to improve education, healthcare, agriculture, skill development and employment opportunities.
• Multi-Purpose Centers (MPC) under PM-JANMAN: Funding has doubled to Rs 300 crore to provide socio-economic support to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). This scheme focuses on improving the socio-economic conditions of particularly vulnerable tribal groups by ensuring access to safe housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, education, healthcare, nutrition, roads and telecom connectivity.
• Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA): It aims to saturate infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages with a budgetary outlay of Rs 79,156 crore over five years (central share: Rs 56,333 crore, state share: Rs 22,823 crore). This initiative brings together 17 ministries through 25 targeted interventions, ensuring integrated tribal development in key areas such as health, education, livelihoods, and skill development. The funding for DAJGUA has quadrupled from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in 2025-26.
The Budget emphasizes the importance of education, healthcare, livelihoods, and skill development for tribal communities, ensuring that they not only benefit from but actively contribute to India’s inclusive growth.
(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)