Syllabus
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the Population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections (GS2)
Source
The Hindu,28/09/2023 (Data Point)
Context
‘The Lancet Regional Health — Southeast Asia,researchers published a study providing a detailed analysis of the health, nutrition, and population trends of Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 2016 to 2021.
Content
- Tribe: A social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.
- Scheduled Tribe: Article 366 defined scheduled tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this constitution”.
- The inclusion of a community as a Scheduled Tribe is an ongoing process.The essential characteristics of these communities are: Primitive Traits, Geographical isolation,Distinct culture,Shy of contact with community at large,Economically backward.
- PVTG:The central government has recognized 75 tribal communities as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) based on the recommendations of the Dhebar Commission (1960-61) and other studies conducted during the Fourth Five-Year Plan. These communities were placed in a special category due to their significant development disparities compared to other tribal groups.Eg: Jarawas, Onges, Sentinelese,ShomPens (Andaman)
- Health and socioeconomic underdevelopment has been a long-standing policy concern with the ST population,who account for 8.6% of India’s Population.
- The tribal communities are primarily settled in rural and remote areas and are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Even though there is a noticeable improvement in the health and welfare metrics of STs, there are persistent disparities between the metrics of ST and non-ST populations, which demand urgent and consistent policy efforts.
Status of ST in India
- The tribal population of the country, as per 2011 census, is 10.43 crore, constituting 8.6% of the total population. 89.97% of them live in rural areas and 10.03% in urban areas
- There are over 700 tribes (with overlapping communities in more than one State) which have been notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and Union Territories of the country.
- The Scheduled Tribes have been specified in relation to all the States and Union Territories except Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pondicherry.
Lancet Study Results
Progress
- Between 2016 and 2021, ST population outperformed the Non-STs in 48 of the 129 indicators, including overall sex ratio, sex ratio at birth, utilization of family planning services, better treatment adherence during pregnancy, and proper breastfeeding practices.
- The ST population also had a lower prevalence of diabetes and hypertension.
- Major improvements in access to improved sanitation facilities (an increase of 30.4 percentage points between 2015–2016 and 2019–2021).
- More births were being attended to by skilled health personnel (an increase of 13 points) and full vaccination coverage among children aged 12–23 months (an increase of 18.6 points).
- The civil registration of births among STs also increased from 76% in 2016 to 88% in 2021.
Regress
- The Infant Mortality Rate of STs are high when compared to Non-STs.
- Child undernutrition is also a major concern, as over 40 percent of ST children below five years are stunted, and a similar percentage are underweight.
- There are new emerging challenges for the ST population. Between 2016 and 2021, the prevalence of elevated blood pressure among ST men and women (15–49 years) has increased.
- STs remains in a disadvantaged position regarding the status of women, as well as prominent public health concerns such as child undernutrition, anemia, incomplete basic vaccination coverage, and fertility and mortality differentials.
Important constitutional provisions for ST
- Article 46: The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
- Article 243D: Provides for reservation of seats for SC & ST in every Panchayat i.e. at all three levels
- Article 243T:Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every Municipality
- Article 330:Provides for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People.
- Article 332:Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assemblies of the States.
- Article 342:The President may specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes.Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause ( 1 ) .
- Article 338 A:There shall be a Commissionfor the Scheduled Tribes to be known as the National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes.
Challenges of ST population
- Lower Life Expectancy: The life expectancy at birth for the ST population in India is 63.9 years, compared to 67 years for the general population.
- Health and Nutritional Gaps: There are gaps in various health and nutritional indicators between the ST and non-ST populations.STs continue to face challenges such as child malnutrition, Anaemia, insufficient vaccination coverage, and disparities in fertility and mortality rates.
Source:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00126-9/fulltext
- For instance, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) among them is almost three times higher than the national average — 703 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 256 per 100,000.
- In recent decades, increasing stress levels, as well as changing food patterns, are also leading to an increase in non-communicable diseases that are often referred to as lifestyle diseases.
- Dwindling forests, declining water tables and rising food costs make it difficult for them to access affordable, nutritious food.
- High Child Mortality Rate: The mortality rate for children under five in the ST community is alarmingly high.
- Child malnutrition: Malnutrition is a pressing issue, as more than 40% of ST children under five were stunted, with a similar percentage being underweight.
- Lower Literacy Levels: The literacy level among the ST population is generally lower than that of the non-ST population.
Source:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00126-9/fulltext
- Poverty Levels: A significant portion of the ST population lives below the poverty line.
- Traditional Lifestyles: Traditional lifestyles and remoteness of habitations can pose challenges to development and access to resources.About 90 per cent of the tribals are engaged in cultivation and most of them are landless and practice shifting cultivation.
- Migration: Many ST populations migrate in search of livelihood and face vulnerability and exclusion from basic entitlements.
- Displacement :Displacement leads to dispossession in the social, cultural and political spheres. It takes various forms such as social disorganization, low self-esteem, loss of identity, loss of culture and of political institutions. All this leads to the marginalization of the displaced tribals.
- Erosion of Identity:Extinction of tribal dialects and languages is a cause of concern as it indicates an erosion of tribal identity in certain areas.
- Issues of tribal women:Lack of literacy and education, low empowerment,Malnutrition, feminization of agriculture,poverty etc are some of the main challenges faced disproportionately by tribal women.
Acts and Policies for Tribal Upliftment
- Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu KalyanYojana (PMVKY): PMVKY aims at holistic development of tribal communities and tribal areas across the country focussing on integrated development of villages and capacity building through interventions in education and livelihood in convergence
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): These schools are set up in States/UTs with grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India. EMRSs provide free education to ST children from class VI to XII in residential set up.
- Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) :It aims to bridge the gap between the Schedule Tribes (STs) and the general population with respect to all socio-economic development indicators in a time-bound manner.
- Van Dhan Yojana:An initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal gatherers and transforming them into entrepreneurs.
- The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006:The law concerns the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources, denied to them over decades as a result of the continuance of colonial forest laws in India.
- The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,1989 : It was enacted by the Parliament of India to prevent atrocities and hate crimes against the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Way Forward
- Need of Improvements in the information landscape for India’s ScheduledTribes to promote the well-being of all marginalized sections in India.
- Engagement with subnational data for monitoring tribal health .It can support policy making and program implementation.
- The government’s per capita expenditure on tribal health should be substantially enhanced.
- Awareness regarding the existing Schemes and Policies for Tribal communities.
- Region Specific Approach to tackle regional disparities among tribal populations.
Reference
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1578782
- https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/health/here-are-some-solutions-to-address-health-challenges-faced-by-tribal-communities-87499
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2822185/
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00126-9/fulltext
Practice Question
Discuss the socio-economic challenges faced by tribal communities in India. Analyze the effectiveness of government policies aimed at addressing these challenges.