Brief notes on the Upliftment of Scheduled Tribes in India

 

1. Introduction

The Scheduled Tribes population account for 67.76 million or 8.08 percent of country’s total population. Of these, 1.32 million (1.95 per cent) are primitive tribes. The ST population too have shown a decadal growth rate of 3.12 per cent during the period 1981-91.

2. Provisions for the Upliftment of STs under the Constitution of India

Social

I. Equality before the law (Article 14).

II. Special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes includ­ing SCs and STs (Article 15 (4)).

III. Abolition of ‘Untouchability” and its practice in any form is forbidden (Article 17).

IV. Appointment of commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes (Article 340).

V. The right for all minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their own choice (Article 30),

VI. To specify the castes and tribal communities deemed to be STs (Article 342).

VII. Throwing open by law of Hindu religious institu­tions of public character to all classes and sections of Hindu (Article 25(b)).

VIII. Removal of any desirability, liability, restrictions or conditions with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertain­ment or use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partially out of State funds or dedicated to the use of general public (Article 15(2)).

IX. Curtailment by law in the interest of any Sched­uled Tribes of general rights of all citizens to move freely, settle in and acquire property (Article

19(5)).

X. Forbidding of any denial of admission to educational institutions maintained by the state or receiving grants out of state funds (Article

29(2)).

XI. Setting up of tribal advisory councils and separate departments in states and appointment of a special officer at the centre to promote their welfare and safeguard their interests (Article 164 and 338 and Fifth Schedule).

XII. Special provision for administration and control of scheduled and tribal areas (Article 244 and Fifth and Sixth Schedules).

XIII. Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour (Article 23).

Economic

I. To promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections and in particular of SCs and STs and protect them from any social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46).

II. Special Financial Assistance is charged from the Consolidated Fund of India each year as grant-in- aid for promoting the welfare of the STs and development of Schedule Areas (Article 275(1).

III. The claims of STs to appointment in services (Article 335)).

Political

I. Administration and control of the scheduled areas and STs in any state (Article 244 and 339).

II. Reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the House of the People and in the Legislative Assemblies of the states (Article 330 and 332).

III. Like-wise a number of Constitutional provisions exist for protection and promotion of the interests of these socially disadvantaged groups.

3. Crimes/Atrocities against STs and Protection to Sts by Law

Besides the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act of 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, are two major legal instruments which help prevent/control the atrocities against STs.

In accordance with the PCR Act, special legal aid was also extended to the victims of untouchability and other crimes through special officers who ensured effective implementation of the Act, besides extending support for social and economic rehabilitation of the SCs/STs victims.

4. Different Plans for the Upliftment of the STs

During 1970s, the Government instituted, three special mechanism viz., Special Component Plan (SCP) for SCs, Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) for STs and Special Central Assistance (SCA) to SCP and TSP. In respect of the Special Component Plan (SCP), the situation at the Central level was not found to be very encouraging as the earmarking of funds was adhered to only by 3 Ministries/ Departments.

5. National Commission for STs

By virtue of the Constitution (Sixty-fifth Amendment) Act, 1990, the special officer’s post under Article 338 of the constitution has been substituted by the National Commis­sion for Scheduled Castes and STs.

6. Parliamentary Committee

The Government had set up three Parliamentary Committees, first in 1966, second in 1971 and third in 1973 to examine the implementation of the constitutional safe­guards for the welfare of schedule castes. The Committee has since been constituted as a Standing Committee of Parliament on labour and welfare.

7. Different Schemes for the Upliftment of STs

Coaching and Allied Scheme

It was started in Fourth Plan for imparting training to SCs/STs in respect of various competitive examination held by recruiting bodies such as UPSC, SPSC, PSUs, Banking Service Recruitment Boards and similar agencies. Grant is given to the Pre-examination Training Centres (PETCs) which are run either by the State/UT governments/ Universities/Private institutes.

During the year 1998-99 against the allocation of Rs. Three crore an amount of Rs. 0.92 crore was released up to December 1998.

Book Bank Scheme

This scheme intended to provide text-books required f the students belonging to SCs/STs pursuing medical and engineering degree courses.

Pre- Matric Scholarship

Begun in 1977-78, this scheme is for education, development, of those who are engaged in the so-called uncIean occupations viz., scavenging of dry latrine, and tanning flaying and sweeping with traditional links with scavenging.

Post matric Scholarship for SC/ST students

This scheme was introduced in 1994-95 with the, objective of providing finance assistance to students studying at post-matriculation stages in different schools and colleges so as to enable them to complete their education.

Liberation after Rehabilitation of Scavengers

A national scheme of liberation and rehabilitation of scavengers and their dependents has been formulated with the flowing components: (i) time bound survey for identification scavengers and their dependents with their aptitudes for alternatives, trades etc.; (ii) training as per TRYSEM norms in identified trades at the nearest , local training institutions/centres of the state governments/ local training ” central government/semi/non-government organization and (iii) rehabilitation of scavengers in trades and occupations by providing subsidy, Margin Money Loan and bank loan.

National Overseas Scholarship and Passage Grants for ‘Higher Education

The scheme provides financial assistance to meritorious selected students for pursuing higher studies abroad in specified fields of Masters level courses, Ph.D and Post Doctoral research programmes in Engineering, Technology and Science only.

STs Development

The Tribal-Sub flan (TSP) strategy which was evolved during the Fifth Plan is based on two objectives: (i) protection of interests of Tribals through legal and administrative support and (ii) promotion of development efforts through plan schemes to raise the level of living. There are now 194 Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDPs). During the Sixth Plan, pockets outside ITDP areas, having a total population of 10,000 with at least 5,000 STs were covered under the Tribal-Sub Plan under Modified Area Development Approach (MADA).

Scheme for Primitive Tribal Groups

There are 75 Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), which have been identified in 15 States/UTs on the basis of pre-agricultural level of technology and extremely very low levels of literacy. The development of PTGs is undertaken through microprojects for these tribes. In the Ninth-Plan period a separate plan of action for the development of PTGs has been formulated. An amount of Rs. 2.33 crore has been sanctioned up to 15 February 1999.

Girls/Boys Hostels for STs

Girls’ hostels scheme was started in Third Plan with the purpose of providing residential facilities to tribal girls in pursuit of education. Central assistance of 50 per cent cost of construction to the States and cent per cent to the UTs is provided under the scheme.

Ashram Schools in TSP Area

This Centrally Sponsored scheme was started in 1990-91 to provide Central assistance to the states and UTs on sharing basis, 50 per cent and 100 per cent, respectively.

Vocational Training in Tribal Areas

This scheme under the Central sector introduced in 1992-93 aims at developing the skills of the tribal youth in order to gain employment/self-employment opportunities. The scheme envisages setting up of Vocational Training

Centres (VTCs).

Education of ST Girls in Low Literacy Pockets

This Scheme launched in 1993-94 aims at raising the literacy level of tribal females in 48 identified tribal districts in 8 states with female literacy below 2 per cent. The scheme is implemented by voluntary organizations.

Tribal Research Institutes

14 Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) have been set up by the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.

Tribal co-operative Marketing Development Federa­tion of India

The Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) was set up by the Govern­ment of India, in 1987, with the prime objective of providing marketing assistance and remunerative prices to STs Communities for their minor forest produce and surplus, agricultural produce and to wean them away from exploitative private traders and middle men. The Federation is a national level cooperative apex body func­tioning under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 1984.

Scheme of Village Grain Banks

This scheme which was launched in 1996-97 to prevent deaths of children in remote and backward tribal areas is actually provided grant from TRIFED (Ministry of Social Justice and Welfare) to purchase grains.

Grant-in-Aid for Minor Forest Produce Operations

This is a Central-Sector Scheme with cent per cent grant available to the State Tribal Development Co-operative Corporations (STDCCs), Forest Development Corpora­tions (FDCs), and Minor Forest Product Trading and Development Federations (MFPTDF) for taking up the Minor Forest Produce (MFP) operations.

Aid to Voluntary Organisations Working for STs

The Ministry gives grants-in-aid to voluntary organizations working for the welfare of the STs for projects like residential schools, hostels, medical units, computer training units, shorthand and typing training units, Balwadis/creches (in areas not covered by ICDS programmes), libraries and audio-visual units.

8. Five-Year Plan

As mentioned earlier, the Ninth Plan was formulated to empower the SCs, similarly, this plan also aimed at the removal of disparities, elimination of exploitation and pro­tection of other disadvantaged groups like STs, OBCs and minorities. Three pronged strategies were outlined in this plan, right from ensuring the equitable distribution and social justice to the effective involvement of these groups in the formulation, implementation, supervision and moni­toring of the Need Based Programmes.

The plan was a sincere effort on the part of the government to reach the un-reached and to accelerate the ongoing process to bring them at par with the rest of the society. Besides government helps them exercise their rights freely, enjoy their privileges and be able to lead a life full of confidence and dignity.