India's 10.45 crore tribal (Scheduled Tribe) citizens have historically lagged on health, education and land rights. Recent policy brought targeted schools, recognition and last-mile missions to close those gaps.
Tribal Welfare
Tribal Welfare
India's 10.45 crore tribal citizens (Scheduled Tribes, Census 2011) have long been among its most under-served. Recent years brought a stronger push: Eklavya Model Residential Schools in tribal blocks, a dedicated Janjatiya Gaurav Divas honouring tribal heroes like Birsa Munda, the ₹24,104 crore PM-JANMAN mission for the most vulnerable tribal groups, and the Dharti Aaba mission covering 63,843 tribal villages. This timeline traces those milestones.
10.45 cr
Tribal citizens (ST, Census 2011)
₹24,104 cr
PM-JANMAN (PVTGs)
2021
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
Covered by the Dharti Aaba tribal village mission
2018
Eklavya schools for tribal-majority blocks
Eklavya Model Residential Schools are expanded to every block with over 50% Scheduled Tribe population and at least 20,000 tribal people; 728 schools are approved and 723 sanctioned, of which 499 were functional by April 2026.
2021
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
2023
PM-JANMAN for the most vulnerable
2024
Dharti Aaba village mission
2018
1milestones
20182024
Latest
Eklavya schools for tribal-majority blocks
Eklavya Model Residential Schools are expanded to every block with over 50% Scheduled Tribe population and at least 20,000 tribal people; 728 schools are approved and 723 sanctioned, of which 499 were functional by April 2026.
Why it matters Targeted schools, recognition and last-mile services help close deep, long-standing gaps for tribal communities in health, education and livelihoods.
- 499 Eklavya schools functional; 723 sanctioned of 728 approved (April 2026); PM-JANMAN ₹24,104 cr (PVTGs)
- Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (2021); 10.45 crore tribal citizens (Census 2011); Dharti Aaba mission for 63,843 villages
- Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, via PIB
History
Recognition & saturation
Eklavya Model Residential Schools bring quality education to tribal-majority blocks (499 functional by April 2026); Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (2021) honours tribal freedom fighters like Birsa Munda; and PM-JANMAN (₹24,104 cr) targets the most vulnerable groups with homes, roads, water and healthcare.
How it works
Tribal welfare works through a mix of special protections and targeted schemes. The Forest Rights Act gives forest-dwelling communities legal title to the land they live on. Eklavya Model Residential Schools provide quality residential education in remote areas. And 'saturation' missions like PM-JANMAN aim to deliver every basic service — housing, water, power, roads, health — to the most vulnerable tribal groups at once, rather than scheme by scheme.
Outlook
Two big missions now anchor the effort: PM-JANMAN (₹24,104 crore) for the 75 most vulnerable tribal groups, and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (₹79,156 crore, 2024) covering 63,843 tribal villages. The genuinely hard next step is reaching scattered, remote hamlets with real services — and making sure development respects tribal land rights, forests and culture rather than displacing them.
By the numbers
10.45 crore tribal citizens (Census 2011); 499 Eklavya schools functional; 723 sanctioned of 728 approved (April 2026); PM-JANMAN ₹24,104 cr for 75 PVTGs; Dharti Aaba mission: 63,843 villages, ₹79,156 cr; Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (2021). Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, via PIB.
Data current to: Mission 2024-25 to 2028-29; school status April 2026
Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Rajya Sabha reply published by PIB (1 April 2026, linked) — the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, launched on 2 October 2024, aims to fill infrastructure gaps in 63,843 tribal villages, with an approved outlay of ₹79,156 crore (Centre ₹56,333 crore, States ₹22,823 crore) for 2024-25 to 2028-29. The villages figure is the mission's coverage, not villages already served. Other milestones from the Ministry: Janjatiya Gaurav Divas declared in November 2021; PM-JANMAN approved at ₹24,104 crore for 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (November 2023); 728 Eklavya Model Residential Schools approved, 723 of them sanctioned and 499 functional (1 April 2026; Rajya Sabha reply, PIB PRID 2247594). Milestones 2018–2024. · link