Context

• The Government of India’s planned approach expedited the overall development of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) of the country, identified the problems and designed the ways and means to overcome the problems through various social, economic and political initiatives.
• Development of tribes of India has remained a central theme in various perspective Five-Year Plans and Annual Plans. However, challenges do exist today for India’s STs due to remoteness of habitations, dispersed population, and frequent displacement.  

Development Plans and Programmes  

• The policy makers and planners accorded utmost priority to the welfare and development of STs from the beginning of the First Five-Year Plan (1951-56). The Plan laid down the principle for suitably designing such plans and programmes that could adequately and appropriately cater to the needs of all the underprivileged. Besides, special provisions were initiated towards securing effective and intensified developmental drives for the all round development of STs.  
• During the Second Plan (1956-61), the Government grouped development programmes in Scheduled areas under four heads – (a) communications, (b) education and culture, (c) development of tribal economy, and (d) health, housing and water supply. In 1961, the Government opened 43 Special Multi-purpose Tribal Blocks, later termed as Tribal Development Blocks (TDBs). 
• The Third Plan (1961-66) continued the plans and policies prescribed and followed during the Second Plan in order to provide equality and opportunities to STs.
• The Fourth Plan (1969-74) vowed to realise a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people, ensuring equality and social justice to all.
• The Fifth Plan (1974-78) launched the Tribal Sub-plan (TSP) envisaging the percolation of direct benefits of development initiatives to the STs. The TSP not only aimed at the promotion of development activities to raise the level of living standards of STs, but also envisaged the protection of interest of the STs through legal and administrative support.
• The Sixth Plan (1980-85) sought to ensure a higher degree of devolution of funds and earmarked a poverty alleviation programme for ST families to cross the poverty line. Infrastructural facilities in Scheduled areas were expanded.
• During the Seventh Plan (1985-90), the emphasis was on the economic development of STs by creating two national-level institutions viz. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED) in 1987, and National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, which was later bifurcated into two separate corporations – one for SCs and other for STs. While the former tried to provide remunerative prices for the forest and agriculture produce of STs, the latter made provisions for credit support for employment generation.
• The Eighth Plan (1992-97) focused on eliminating the exploitation of STs and paid attention to their special problems of suppression of rights, land alienation, non-payment of minimum wages and restrictions on the right to collect minor forest produce, etc.
• The Ninth Plan (1997-2002) envisaged the creation of an enabling environment conducive for STs to exercise their rights freely, enjoy their privileges and lead a life at par with the rest of the society.
• The Tenth Plan (2002-07) focused on tackling the unresolved issues and problems faced by the tribal society on a time-bound basis.
• The Eleventh (2007-12) and Twelfth Plan (2012-17) consolidated the welfare measures and offered directions to the States to design proper and appropriate developmental activities specifically relevant for the development of STs.
• The Annual Plans thereafter through NITI Aayog of Government of India take care of development needs of STs in States.
• Central Ministries/ Departments have been mandated by NITI Aayog to earmark funds in the range of 4.3 to17.5 percent of their total Scheme allocation every year for tribal development. 

Way Forward

• Plans and Programmes of the government have continuously facilitated the socio-economic development of ST population. However, the achievement is skewed across States. 
• The poverty gap between STs and all populations living below the poverty line shows that STs are more backward economically. Most of the STs who are living under the poverty line are landless agricultural labourers having minimal or no access to productive assets.
• There is a need to popularise a tribal-specific participatory self-governance system where the STs will be empowered in the tribal-participative and tribal-managed development process.  
• In addition to setting up of educational infrastructure in Scheduled Areas, extra efforts could be made to enhance the skill and knowledge base of the ST youth through the provision of need based training and skill upgradation. 
• Since a majority of the tribal community is dependent on minor forest produce and low-productive agriculture, efforts need to be made to make them more productive by improving the quality of the produce and linking the tribal produce with the markets in a sustainable manner. 
• Intra-departmental cooperation, coordination, and convergence are required for the effective implementation of schemes dedicated to the upliftment of STs.