Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, called on the Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, at Parliament House today, accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry. During the meeting, the Vice-President was briefed on various initiatives undertaken by the Ministry for the welfare of the tribal population.
The presentation covered efforts to secure tribal rights; measures to enhance education and health outcomes; scholarships for tribal students; programmes for the rejuvenation of tribal culture; livelihood schemes including financial assistance and promotion of traditional skills as enterprises; the Ministry’s plan to modernise and expand Eklavya Model Residential Schools nationwide; and key schemes such as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, PM-JANMAN, and the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan.
The Vice-President was also apprised of targeted initiatives for the welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), including measures to secure their habitat rights. The Vice-President appreciated the three-fold increase in the Ministry’s budget outlay over the last eleven years and emphasised the need to enhance access to quality higher education including opportunities abroad for tribal students.
He underlined the importance of continuous academic support and monitoring, preventing school dropouts, and building stronger linkages between universities and schools to ensure smooth transition of tribal students into higher education.
The Vice-President commended the Ministry’s focused efforts to address sickle cell anaemia among tribal communities and to bridge critical gaps in health infrastructure. He also urged the Ministry to highlight and popularise the forgotten heroes of various tribal communities and bring their contributions to national attention.
Reiterating that the benefits of welfare schemes must reach all sections of the tribal population, the Vice-President stated that the vision of Viksit Bharat can be achieved only when the upliftment and well-being of the tribal community are fully ensured.