What does a special package mean for PVTGs?

What does a special package mean for PVTGs?

Subject: Schemes

Section: Vulnerable section

Context:

• On December 6, the Tribal Affairs Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that the population of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) was not in decline,  citing information provided by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (ORGI). 
• This was in variance with the State Wise Census data provided by the Ministry  to a Parliamentary panel last year showing that the numbers of these tribal groups fell almost 40% in at least nine States and Union Territories in the first decade of this century.

About Scheduled Tribes in India 

• Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities: India’s 705 Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities — making up 8.6% of the country’s population — live in 26 States and six Union Territories.
• Scheduled Areas: Scheduled Areas cover 11.3% of India’s land area, and have been notified in 10 States: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh.
• PVTGS: India has a Scheduled Tribe population of 10.45 crore, according to the 2011 census.
• Of the total, 75 communities in 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been categorised as PVTGs.
• On the recommendation of the Dhebar Commission, the Central government began to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category in 1975.
• These PVTGs continue to face vulnerability in social, economic and educational fields.
• The Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission to improve the socio-economic conditions of these groups was announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24.

Various Constitutional Provisions

• Article 244: Pertaining to the administration of Scheduled and Tribal Areas, Article 244 is the single most important constitutional provision for STs.
• Article 244(1) provides for the application of Fifth Schedule provisions to Scheduled Areas notified in any State other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
• The Sixth Schedule applies to these States as per Article 244(2).
• The Fifth Schedule under Article 244(1) of the Constitution defines Scheduled Areas. On the other hand, the Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (2) of the Constitution defines Tribal areas.

PM JANMAN

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) to uplift the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• The scheme will have a total outlay of Rs.24, 104 crore, with the Centre and the States sharing the cost in a ratio of 64:36.
• The PM-JANMAN scheme is in line with the Budget announcement of 2023-24, in which the Finance Minister had proposed to launch a Pradhan Mantri PVTG of Development Mission to improve the socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs.
• The Mission will aim to provide basic amenities and services to all PVTG households and habitations, such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• The Mission will be implemented in the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes (DAPST), with an allocation of Rs.15,000 crore.

The PM-JANMAN scheme will focus on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. These interventions are:

• Housing: To provide safe and dignified housing to all PVTG households under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).
• Drinking water and sanitation: To ensure universal coverage of piped water supply and individual household toilets under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G).
• Education: To enhance access to quality education for PVTG children through residential schools, hostels, scholarships, bridge courses, e-learning platforms and special coaching under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and other schemes.
• Health and nutrition: To improve health outcomes and nutritional status of the PVTG population through dedicated mobile medical units, health camps, immunization drives, supplementary nutrition programmes, Anganwadi centres and other schemes.
• Road connectivity: To connect all PVTG habitations with all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
• Telecom connectivity: To provide mobile connectivity and internet access to all PVTG habitations under BharatNet and other schemes.
• Livelihood opportunities: To promote sustainable livelihoods for PVTG households through skill development, self-help groups, micro-enterprises, value addition, market linkages and other schemes.
• Land rights: To secure land rights and titles for PVTG households under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and other laws.
• Social security: To provide social protection and insurance to PVTG households under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and other schemes.
• Cultural preservation: To preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage and identity of PVTGs through documentation, dissemination, festivals, awards and other schemes.
• Institutional support: To strengthen the institutional mechanisms for planning, monitoring, evaluation and convergence of the PM-JANMAN scheme at various levels.