Spending on Tribal Development

How governments earmark budgets for tribal development through the tribal sub-plan, why funds are sometimes diverted or unspent, and debates about effectiveness.

Governments set aside funds specifically for tribal development.

Tribal sub-plan

Since the 1970s, the Tribal Sub-Plan (now Development Action Plan for STs) requires ministries and states to allocate funds roughly in proportion to the ST population share.

What it funds

Schools and hostels.
Health services.
Roads, water and electricity.
Livelihood programmes.

Problems

Unspent funds in some years.
Diversion to general projects with little tribal benefit.
Notional allocations that don’t reflect real tribal needs.

New initiatives

Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana to develop tribal-majority villages.
PM-JANMAN (2023) for PVTGs.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (2024) targeting tens of thousands of tribal villages.

Accountability

Civil society groups analyse budgets to check whether earmarked funds truly benefit tribal communities.

The diverted fund

A state reports spending tribal sub-plan money on a highway passing near tribal areas. Critics argue the highway mainly benefits cities, not tribal villages.

Thinking earmarked funds always reach the intended group

Funds are sometimes unspent or diverted.

Key takeaways

Tribal sub-plans earmark funds in proportion to ST population.
They fund schools, health, roads and livelihoods.
Unspent and diverted funds are problems.
New missions target tribal villages and PVTGs.