Major Tribal Development Schemes in India

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements several major schemes to improve living standards in tribal areas, with a focus on roads, housing, education, livelihoods and basic services. These initiatives are especially important for Scheduled Tribes, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), De-notified Tribes and other marginalised tribal communities.

For Prelims, the most useful schemes to remember are DAJGUA, PM-JANMAN, EMRS, PMJVM and SEED. Each has a distinct target group and delivery mechanism, but all aim at reducing long-standing development gaps in tribal regions.

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)

• Launch and duration: Launched on October 2, 2024, and implemented over five years from FY 2024–25 to 2028–29.
• Budget: Total outlay of ₹79,156 crore, with ₹56,333 crore from the Centre and ₹22,823 crore from States.
• Coverage: Aims to saturate infrastructure and welfare gaps in 63,843 tribal-majority villages across 549 districts and 2,911 blocks in 30 States and Union Territories.
• Beneficiary reach: Directly targets more than 5 crore tribal citizens.
• Implementation model: The scheme has 25 targeted interventions coordinated by 17 line ministries.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)

• Target group: Focuses on 75 identified PVTG communities.
• Time period: Runs from FY 2023–24 to 2025–26.
• Objective: Ensures saturation of basic services such as housing, clean water, road connectivity and electricity.
• Budget: Total outlay of ₹24,104 crore, including ₹15,336 crore from the Centre and ₹8,768 crore from States.
• Housing progress: 4,73,939 pucca houses sanctioned and 2,50,374 completed out of a target of 4.90 lakh houses.
• Road connectivity: 7,316.62 km of roads sanctioned; 1,196 km completed against an 8,000 km target.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

• Purpose: A central sector scheme for quality residential secondary education for Scheduled Tribe students, especially in remote tribal areas.
• Operational network: As of March 6, 2026, there were 499 operational EMRS campuses across the country.
• Student strength: These schools were enrolling 1,56,564 Scheduled Tribe students.
• Administrative change: The guidelines were revised on April 29, 2022, to merge Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools (EMDBS) into the EMRS framework.
• Funding: The scheme receives a dedicated annual budgetary allocation.

Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)

• Objective: Promotes tribal livelihoods through value addition, enterprise creation and better market access.
• Period: Operates from FY 2021–22 to 2025–26.
• Scheme structure: Consolidates and merges earlier tribal livelihood schemes.
• Nodal agency: TRIFED functions as the nodal implementing agency.
• Key platform: Supports Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) for processing and marketing minor forest produce.
• Coverage: As of August 2026, 4,172 VDVKs had been sanctioned, supporting about 12.48 lakh tribal individuals.

Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

• Target group: De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.
• Focus areas: Education, health and livelihood support for historically marginalised communities.
• Education support: During FY 2025–26, ₹26.75 crore was disbursed for the education of 4,485 DNT students.
• Health coverage: 73,569 Ayushman Bharat health insurance cards were issued to eligible DNT families.

Important Institutional and Constitutional Points

• TRIFED: Established in 1987 and placed under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to organise retail marketing of tribal products.
• Article 275(1): Provides financial support from the Consolidated Fund of India for tribal welfare and related state plans.
• Fifth Schedule: Applies to tribal areas in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• Sixth Schedule: Applies specifically to tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes: Created by the 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, under Article 338A.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• DAJGUA village norm: A selected village must have at least 500 people and a minimum 50% Scheduled Tribe population.
• PVTG criteria: Based on Dhebar Commission-era indicators such as pre-agricultural technology, low literacy, stagnant or declining population and subsistence economy.
• DAJGUA coverage: 63,843 tribal-majority villages across 30 States and Union Territories.
• PM-JANMAN target: 75 PVTG communities with a focus on basic services saturation.
• EMRS role: Provides residential schooling for ST students in remote areas.
• PMJVM nodal agency: TRIFED supports tribal livelihoods through VDVKs and minor forest produce processing.
• SEED beneficiaries: Focuses on DNT, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities through education, health and livelihood support.