New Delhi, Feb 2: The overall budget allocation for the development of Scheduled Tribes has jumped by 45.79 per cent to Rs 14,925.81 crore in 2025-26 from Rs 10,237.33 crore in 2024-25.

The Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) has been expanded and subsumed under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) with an outlay of Rs 80,000 crore over five years.

The budget outlay for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has seen consistent growth, rising from Rs 7,511.64 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 10,237.33 crore in 2024-25, and now reaching Rs 14,925.81 crore in 2025-26.

A long-term perspective reveals significant progress: from Rs 4,497.96 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 7,411 crore in 2021-22, and now a 231.83 per cent increase since 2014-15, demonstrating the government's sustained focus on tribal welfare.

The increase in allocations has taken place across the board in all the flagship schemes to uplift the tribal population.

The outlay for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) has nearly doubled to Rs 7,088.60 crore from last year’s Rs 4,748 crore, to provide quality education to tribal students in remote areas.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission, the allocation has shot up to Rs 380.40 crore, from Rs 152.32 crore in the previous year, reinforcing efforts to create year-round income-generating opportunities for tribal communities.

The PMAAGY got a 163 per cent hike to Rs 335.97 crore, focusing on bridging infrastructural gaps in education, healthcare, and employment.

The allocation for Multi-Purpose Centers (MPC) under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) has doubled from Rs 150 crore to Rs 300 crore, enhancing socio-economic support in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) dominated habitations.

Building upon the success of PM-JANMAN, the DAJGUA aims to saturate infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages with a budgetary outlay of Rs 79,156 crore over five years (Central Share: Rs 56,333 crore, State Share: Rs 22,823 crore). This initiative brings together 17 ministries through 25 targeted interventions, ensuring integrated tribal development in key areas such as health, education, livelihoods, and skill development.

The allocation for DAJGUA under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has quadrupled from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in 2025-26, reflecting the government’s commitment to uplifting tribal communities at the grassroots level.

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram said, "India, home to over 10.45 crore Scheduled Tribe (ST) individuals - comprising 8.6 per cent of the total population - boasts a rich and diverse tribal heritage. Spread across remote and often inaccessible regions, these communities have long been a focal point of the government's development agenda."

"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Union Budget 2025-26 reaffirms this commitment with a substantial increase in budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, ensuring holistic and sustainable development for tribal communities across the country," he added.

Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durga Das Uikey said, "This budget is a testament to our dedication to tribal welfare, with focused investments in education, livelihoods, and infrastructure, paving the way for a brighter future. Our Government is committed to tribal empowerment."

--IANS

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