Yojana Magazine July 2022 - 1 | Monthly Yojana & Kurukshetra Magazine (English) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


July 2022
YOJANA
Volume-66
No. 07
A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.
Rig Veda
Website: www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
@DPD_India
@publicationsdivision
@dpd_india
Editor 
Shuchita chaturvedi
Joint dirEctor, Production 
d K c hrudhainath
our repreSentativeS 
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: BK Kiranmai, 
Bhubaneswar: Itishree Singh Rathaur, Chennai: 
Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Maruf Alam, Hyderabad: 
Krishna Vandana P , Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur 
Devgan, Kolkata: Khurshid Mallick, Mumbai: Umesh 
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko.
Yojana (english): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan, 
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.  
e-mail (editorial): sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA, a development monthly published since 
1957, is a theme-based journal providing in-depth 
analyses and views on socio-economic issues in 
the broader framework of government policies. 
Although published by the Ministry of Information 
and Broadcasting, YOJANA is not restricted to 
expressing the official point of view.
diScLaiMer
l 	 The	 vie ws	 e xpressed	 in	 various	 articles	 are	
those	 of	 the	 authors	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 nec essarily	
re flect	 the	 vie ws	 of	 the	 Go vernmen t	 or	 the	
organisation/ s	the y	work	f or .
l Map s/flags	 used	 in	 the	 articles	 are	 only	
indic ative	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 re flect	 the	 politic al	
map	 or	 legal	 represen t ation	 of	 the	 flag	 of	 India /
an y	other	c oun tr y .
l The	 inf ographics/fig ures	 are	 pro vided	 b y	 the	
authors	 through	 their	 reliable	 sourc es	 and	
YOJANA 	 claims	 no	 re sponsibility 	 f or	 the	 same.
l Images,	 graphics	 and	 illus trations,	 whe re ver	
used,	 are	 mos tly	 sourc ed	 from	 go vernme n t	
channels	and	are	indic ative	in	nature.
l YOJANA 	 does	 not	 o wn	 responsi bility	
regarding	 the	 c on t en ts	 of	 the	 advertisemen ts.	
The	 re aders	 are	 reque s t ed	 t o	 verif y	 the	 claim s	
made	 in	 the	 advertisemen ts	 regarding	 c ourses,	
c areer -guidanc e	book s	or	ins titutions.
l YOJANA doesn't 	 e ndorse 	 or 	 promot e 	 an y 	 brands	
or 	 privat e 	 e n tities 	 presen t e d 	 as 	 c ase 	 s tudies 	 in 	 an y	 
of 	 the 	 article s.
SuBScriP tiOn/Grievance S
email: pdjucir@gmail.com 
Phone: 011-24367453  
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 am- 6:00 pm)
Postal address: abhishek chaturvedi, Editor, 
Journals Unit, Publications Division, Room No. 
779, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi 
Road, New Delhi-110 003.
Please	 not e	 that	 it	 will	 t ak e	 atleas t	 eigh t	
week s	 t o	 s t art	 your	 sub scrip tion.	 Kindly	 raise	 
your	 queries/grie vanc es	 about	 non	 rec eip t	 of	 the	
journals	only	aft er	this	period.
Warli Art on the front cover by Gajanan 
Ghongade
in thiS iSSue
number of pages: 64
next iSSue: Literature and azadi
Details of the Sales Outlets of the Publications Division on Page 31
YOJANA is published in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, 
Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
re GuLar S
dO YOu KnO w? central assistance for w elfare of Scheduled tribes ................... 46
Our BOOKS : indian t ribes: through the ages .............................................. Cover-III
POLICIES ON SCHEDULED TRIBES 
Harsh Chouhan  .................................. 7
Since 1957
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES 
Dr H Sudarshan, Dr Tanya Seshadri ..... 11
THE NORTH EASTERN MILIEU 
Amlan Biswas ................................... 17
TRIBALS IN GUJARAT 
Dilip Rana ........................................ 23
SONGS Of fREEDOM : 
CHHATTISGARH 
Dr Sushil Trivedi ............................... 29
RICH HERITAGE Of GONDS 
Dr Shamrao Koreti ............................ 35
TRIBALS IN JHARKHAND 
Vivek Vaibhav ................................... 41
SPORTS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED 
AREAS 
Shivendra Chaturvedi ........................ 49
INDIGENOUS CULTURE 
Dr Madhura Dutta ............................ 55
Page 2


July 2022
YOJANA
Volume-66
No. 07
A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.
Rig Veda
Website: www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
@DPD_India
@publicationsdivision
@dpd_india
Editor 
Shuchita chaturvedi
Joint dirEctor, Production 
d K c hrudhainath
our repreSentativeS 
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: BK Kiranmai, 
Bhubaneswar: Itishree Singh Rathaur, Chennai: 
Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Maruf Alam, Hyderabad: 
Krishna Vandana P , Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur 
Devgan, Kolkata: Khurshid Mallick, Mumbai: Umesh 
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko.
Yojana (english): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan, 
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.  
e-mail (editorial): sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA, a development monthly published since 
1957, is a theme-based journal providing in-depth 
analyses and views on socio-economic issues in 
the broader framework of government policies. 
Although published by the Ministry of Information 
and Broadcasting, YOJANA is not restricted to 
expressing the official point of view.
diScLaiMer
l 	 The	 vie ws	 e xpressed	 in	 various	 articles	 are	
those	 of	 the	 authors	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 nec essarily	
re flect	 the	 vie ws	 of	 the	 Go vernmen t	 or	 the	
organisation/ s	the y	work	f or .
l Map s/flags	 used	 in	 the	 articles	 are	 only	
indic ative	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 re flect	 the	 politic al	
map	 or	 legal	 represen t ation	 of	 the	 flag	 of	 India /
an y	other	c oun tr y .
l The	 inf ographics/fig ures	 are	 pro vided	 b y	 the	
authors	 through	 their	 reliable	 sourc es	 and	
YOJANA 	 claims	 no	 re sponsibility 	 f or	 the	 same.
l Images,	 graphics	 and	 illus trations,	 whe re ver	
used,	 are	 mos tly	 sourc ed	 from	 go vernme n t	
channels	and	are	indic ative	in	nature.
l YOJANA 	 does	 not	 o wn	 responsi bility	
regarding	 the	 c on t en ts	 of	 the	 advertisemen ts.	
The	 re aders	 are	 reque s t ed	 t o	 verif y	 the	 claim s	
made	 in	 the	 advertisemen ts	 regarding	 c ourses,	
c areer -guidanc e	book s	or	ins titutions.
l YOJANA doesn't 	 e ndorse 	 or 	 promot e 	 an y 	 brands	
or 	 privat e 	 e n tities 	 presen t e d 	 as 	 c ase 	 s tudies 	 in 	 an y	 
of 	 the 	 article s.
SuBScriP tiOn/Grievance S
email: pdjucir@gmail.com 
Phone: 011-24367453  
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 am- 6:00 pm)
Postal address: abhishek chaturvedi, Editor, 
Journals Unit, Publications Division, Room No. 
779, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi 
Road, New Delhi-110 003.
Please	 not e	 that	 it	 will	 t ak e	 atleas t	 eigh t	
week s	 t o	 s t art	 your	 sub scrip tion.	 Kindly	 raise	 
your	 queries/grie vanc es	 about	 non	 rec eip t	 of	 the	
journals	only	aft er	this	period.
Warli Art on the front cover by Gajanan 
Ghongade
in thiS iSSue
number of pages: 64
next iSSue: Literature and azadi
Details of the Sales Outlets of the Publications Division on Page 31
YOJANA is published in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, 
Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
re GuLar S
dO YOu KnO w? central assistance for w elfare of Scheduled tribes ................... 46
Our BOOKS : indian t ribes: through the ages .............................................. Cover-III
POLICIES ON SCHEDULED TRIBES 
Harsh Chouhan  .................................. 7
Since 1957
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES 
Dr H Sudarshan, Dr Tanya Seshadri ..... 11
THE NORTH EASTERN MILIEU 
Amlan Biswas ................................... 17
TRIBALS IN GUJARAT 
Dilip Rana ........................................ 23
SONGS Of fREEDOM : 
CHHATTISGARH 
Dr Sushil Trivedi ............................... 29
RICH HERITAGE Of GONDS 
Dr Shamrao Koreti ............................ 35
TRIBALS IN JHARKHAND 
Vivek Vaibhav ................................... 41
SPORTS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED 
AREAS 
Shivendra Chaturvedi ........................ 49
INDIGENOUS CULTURE 
Dr Madhura Dutta ............................ 55
4 YOJANA   July 2022
Universal Basic Income
I am one of your regular readers. I have gone through 
the May 2022 issue of your prestigious magazine. 
The editorial has highlighted the issue of 
safeguarding the interests of the people in healthcare, 
old age, unemployment, etc. There is an urgent need 
to formulate and implement Universal Basic Income 
Scheme a top priority across the country through 
the Central Government, to cover all the segments of 
society for achieving the objective of self reliance and 
sustainability. 
– Ravi Bhushan  
Kurukshetra, Haryana  
bhushanravishd@gmail.com 
Collectible Issue on Fintech
Yojana is close to my heart. Since my college days, I 
have been regularly reading this popular magazine without 
fail in which honesty and impartiality are the hallmark 
traits. It is a storehouse of knowledge. April 2022 Yojana 
is a collectible issue consisting of articles like “Digital 
Identity”, “Quality Education”, “Fintech Revolution” and 
“Fintech Beyond Boundaries” that are excellent pieces of 
writing. They are instructive and informative. The editorial 
is also heart touching. I sincerely thank Yojana team for 
their honest effort and dedication.
– Prabhudutt Dash 
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 
prabhuduttdash@gmail.com
Article on Agriculture
“Safety Net for Farmers” by Jagdeep Saxena is an 
enlightening article with details that must reach the field-
level farmers through Gram Panchayats, most of whom are 
unaware of the various schemes. 
– Rajiv N Magal 
Sakaleshpur (Hassan Dist), Karnataka 
rajivmagal2016@gmail.com
Reflections
I purchased April 2022 issue of Y ojana and was thrilled 
to read varied excellent articles on Fintech, Digtal Identity, 
Quality Education, in a magazine at an affordable price of 
Rs 22 only. It may be noted that while going through the 
article on “Quality Education” by Shailendra Sharma and 
Dr Saneel Thakur, the authors have mentioned NEP 2022 
as New Educational Policy which is National Education 
Policy (NEP) 2022. 
– Dr Banwari Lal Gupta 
Trikuta Nagar, Jammu  
blgupta1959@gmail.com
In-sync with UPSC Syllabus
I am a regular reader of this monthly journal. I am a 
huge fan of Yojana because it covers relevant topics and 
expresses them in easy language to make it comprehensive 
for all to read. It has helped in securing success in many 
exams. I thank Yojana for being the best helper in my 
preparation. It is helping me a lot to remain determined, 
consistent, and inspired during the course, especially with 
the articles that are helpful as per the syllabus. Thanks to 
the Yojana team for the help you provided during my entire 
UPSC journey. 
– Gajavalli Kalyani  
Hyderabad, Telangana 
kalyanigajavalli1105@gmail.com
Broad Spectrum of Views 
The issue on Union Budget 2022 was quite insightful. I 
must appreciate the broad spectrum of views covered under 
the theme. Promoting technology-enabled development, 
energy transition and climate action remained at the heart 
of this year’s budget. In other words, the Government 
is aiming at a long-term vision of achieving sustainable 
growth. My best regards to the team of Yojana.
– Zahinuddin  
Mumbai, Maharashtra  
zahinuddin1992@gmail.com
Inbox
sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
Page 3


July 2022
YOJANA
Volume-66
No. 07
A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.
Rig Veda
Website: www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
@DPD_India
@publicationsdivision
@dpd_india
Editor 
Shuchita chaturvedi
Joint dirEctor, Production 
d K c hrudhainath
our repreSentativeS 
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: BK Kiranmai, 
Bhubaneswar: Itishree Singh Rathaur, Chennai: 
Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Maruf Alam, Hyderabad: 
Krishna Vandana P , Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur 
Devgan, Kolkata: Khurshid Mallick, Mumbai: Umesh 
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko.
Yojana (english): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan, 
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.  
e-mail (editorial): sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA, a development monthly published since 
1957, is a theme-based journal providing in-depth 
analyses and views on socio-economic issues in 
the broader framework of government policies. 
Although published by the Ministry of Information 
and Broadcasting, YOJANA is not restricted to 
expressing the official point of view.
diScLaiMer
l 	 The	 vie ws	 e xpressed	 in	 various	 articles	 are	
those	 of	 the	 authors	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 nec essarily	
re flect	 the	 vie ws	 of	 the	 Go vernmen t	 or	 the	
organisation/ s	the y	work	f or .
l Map s/flags	 used	 in	 the	 articles	 are	 only	
indic ative	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 re flect	 the	 politic al	
map	 or	 legal	 represen t ation	 of	 the	 flag	 of	 India /
an y	other	c oun tr y .
l The	 inf ographics/fig ures	 are	 pro vided	 b y	 the	
authors	 through	 their	 reliable	 sourc es	 and	
YOJANA 	 claims	 no	 re sponsibility 	 f or	 the	 same.
l Images,	 graphics	 and	 illus trations,	 whe re ver	
used,	 are	 mos tly	 sourc ed	 from	 go vernme n t	
channels	and	are	indic ative	in	nature.
l YOJANA 	 does	 not	 o wn	 responsi bility	
regarding	 the	 c on t en ts	 of	 the	 advertisemen ts.	
The	 re aders	 are	 reque s t ed	 t o	 verif y	 the	 claim s	
made	 in	 the	 advertisemen ts	 regarding	 c ourses,	
c areer -guidanc e	book s	or	ins titutions.
l YOJANA doesn't 	 e ndorse 	 or 	 promot e 	 an y 	 brands	
or 	 privat e 	 e n tities 	 presen t e d 	 as 	 c ase 	 s tudies 	 in 	 an y	 
of 	 the 	 article s.
SuBScriP tiOn/Grievance S
email: pdjucir@gmail.com 
Phone: 011-24367453  
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 am- 6:00 pm)
Postal address: abhishek chaturvedi, Editor, 
Journals Unit, Publications Division, Room No. 
779, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi 
Road, New Delhi-110 003.
Please	 not e	 that	 it	 will	 t ak e	 atleas t	 eigh t	
week s	 t o	 s t art	 your	 sub scrip tion.	 Kindly	 raise	 
your	 queries/grie vanc es	 about	 non	 rec eip t	 of	 the	
journals	only	aft er	this	period.
Warli Art on the front cover by Gajanan 
Ghongade
in thiS iSSue
number of pages: 64
next iSSue: Literature and azadi
Details of the Sales Outlets of the Publications Division on Page 31
YOJANA is published in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, 
Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
re GuLar S
dO YOu KnO w? central assistance for w elfare of Scheduled tribes ................... 46
Our BOOKS : indian t ribes: through the ages .............................................. Cover-III
POLICIES ON SCHEDULED TRIBES 
Harsh Chouhan  .................................. 7
Since 1957
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES 
Dr H Sudarshan, Dr Tanya Seshadri ..... 11
THE NORTH EASTERN MILIEU 
Amlan Biswas ................................... 17
TRIBALS IN GUJARAT 
Dilip Rana ........................................ 23
SONGS Of fREEDOM : 
CHHATTISGARH 
Dr Sushil Trivedi ............................... 29
RICH HERITAGE Of GONDS 
Dr Shamrao Koreti ............................ 35
TRIBALS IN JHARKHAND 
Vivek Vaibhav ................................... 41
SPORTS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED 
AREAS 
Shivendra Chaturvedi ........................ 49
INDIGENOUS CULTURE 
Dr Madhura Dutta ............................ 55
4 YOJANA   July 2022
Universal Basic Income
I am one of your regular readers. I have gone through 
the May 2022 issue of your prestigious magazine. 
The editorial has highlighted the issue of 
safeguarding the interests of the people in healthcare, 
old age, unemployment, etc. There is an urgent need 
to formulate and implement Universal Basic Income 
Scheme a top priority across the country through 
the Central Government, to cover all the segments of 
society for achieving the objective of self reliance and 
sustainability. 
– Ravi Bhushan  
Kurukshetra, Haryana  
bhushanravishd@gmail.com 
Collectible Issue on Fintech
Yojana is close to my heart. Since my college days, I 
have been regularly reading this popular magazine without 
fail in which honesty and impartiality are the hallmark 
traits. It is a storehouse of knowledge. April 2022 Yojana 
is a collectible issue consisting of articles like “Digital 
Identity”, “Quality Education”, “Fintech Revolution” and 
“Fintech Beyond Boundaries” that are excellent pieces of 
writing. They are instructive and informative. The editorial 
is also heart touching. I sincerely thank Yojana team for 
their honest effort and dedication.
– Prabhudutt Dash 
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 
prabhuduttdash@gmail.com
Article on Agriculture
“Safety Net for Farmers” by Jagdeep Saxena is an 
enlightening article with details that must reach the field-
level farmers through Gram Panchayats, most of whom are 
unaware of the various schemes. 
– Rajiv N Magal 
Sakaleshpur (Hassan Dist), Karnataka 
rajivmagal2016@gmail.com
Reflections
I purchased April 2022 issue of Y ojana and was thrilled 
to read varied excellent articles on Fintech, Digtal Identity, 
Quality Education, in a magazine at an affordable price of 
Rs 22 only. It may be noted that while going through the 
article on “Quality Education” by Shailendra Sharma and 
Dr Saneel Thakur, the authors have mentioned NEP 2022 
as New Educational Policy which is National Education 
Policy (NEP) 2022. 
– Dr Banwari Lal Gupta 
Trikuta Nagar, Jammu  
blgupta1959@gmail.com
In-sync with UPSC Syllabus
I am a regular reader of this monthly journal. I am a 
huge fan of Yojana because it covers relevant topics and 
expresses them in easy language to make it comprehensive 
for all to read. It has helped in securing success in many 
exams. I thank Yojana for being the best helper in my 
preparation. It is helping me a lot to remain determined, 
consistent, and inspired during the course, especially with 
the articles that are helpful as per the syllabus. Thanks to 
the Yojana team for the help you provided during my entire 
UPSC journey. 
– Gajavalli Kalyani  
Hyderabad, Telangana 
kalyanigajavalli1105@gmail.com
Broad Spectrum of Views 
The issue on Union Budget 2022 was quite insightful. I 
must appreciate the broad spectrum of views covered under 
the theme. Promoting technology-enabled development, 
energy transition and climate action remained at the heart 
of this year’s budget. In other words, the Government 
is aiming at a long-term vision of achieving sustainable 
growth. My best regards to the team of Yojana.
– Zahinuddin  
Mumbai, Maharashtra  
zahinuddin1992@gmail.com
Inbox
sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA   July 2022 5
Editorial
YOJANA
Tribals: Sustaining the Roots
T
he tribal communities of India are deep-rooted with the nature, indigenous 
livelihood, oral traditions, folk culture and are mostly confined to their own 
people. The word ‘tribe’ was originally a latin word tribus, meaning ‘the poor’, later 
used to specify the masses. Living in bucolic simplicity, in the colonial ethnography 
and anthropology, they offer invaluable heritage to our country, along with historical 
significance through their participation in India’s struggle for freedom. These 
self-reliant communities enjoyed the autonomy of governance over the territory 
they inhabited until the colonial rulers started merging them with the dominant 
population. The spirit of Swaraj has been expressed very poignantly in the two-lined 
rhyme of the folk song ‘Dadariya’ in Chhattisgarhi:
Diya mange bati, bati mange tel
Su-raj lebo angrej, katka debe jail?
The lamp needs a wick, and the wick needs oil. 
Oh, British! We will take Swaraj (self-rule) 
no matter how many times you put us in jail. 
Tribals with their organic lifestyle and beliefs challenge the modern way of 
reckless living and development needs. Their sustainable living provides lessons to the world struggling with pressing 
issues like climate change and environmental issues.
From time to time, the tribals have faced displacement and deprivation to facilitate various developmental projects 
such as setting up of industrial operations, construction of dams, etc., leading to deforestation, and further pushing them 
towards the periphery of the social construct. The common expectation from them to follow the mainstream culture for 
their own growth, hinders with their beliefs and practices, thus erasing their identities under pre-established systems. 
Therefore, it becomes challenging and at the same time necessary that they are recognised for who they are and attributed 
a certain unique position in the society. The Article 46 of the Constitution aims that ‘the State shall promote with special 
care, the educational and economic interest of the weaker section of the people, and, in particular, the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation’.
Thereafter, the Government strengthened these rights with Articles 15 and 16– further protecting the STs. The 
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ‘to prevent the commission of offenses or 
atrocities against the members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to provide relief and rehabilitation for the 
victims of atrocities’ was passed by the Parliament, realising the significance and urgence to preserve these communities. 
Several Schemes and policies are being introduced to be inclusive of the tribal communities and recognising their vulnerable 
situation which prevents them from receiving egalitarian privileges and social status. Recently, the birth anniversary of the 
renowned tribal leader Birsa Munda on 15
th
 November has been announced as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ to commemorate 
the struggles and sacrifices of tribal freedom fighters during the independence movement.
In contemporary India, the tribal communities continue to outshine in various fields such as education, sports, various 
art forms (dance, music, painting, etc.), and add to the cultural presence of India. Our country is making efforts towards 
restoring the legacy of the tribal communities, their identity and inheritance, paying homage to them being an indispensable 
part of our society. It is imperative that the policymakers continue to safeguard the tribal rights so as to ensure inclusive 
development of the society.                                                                                                                                                   ?
Page 4


July 2022
YOJANA
Volume-66
No. 07
A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.
Rig Veda
Website: www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
@DPD_India
@publicationsdivision
@dpd_india
Editor 
Shuchita chaturvedi
Joint dirEctor, Production 
d K c hrudhainath
our repreSentativeS 
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: BK Kiranmai, 
Bhubaneswar: Itishree Singh Rathaur, Chennai: 
Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Maruf Alam, Hyderabad: 
Krishna Vandana P , Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur 
Devgan, Kolkata: Khurshid Mallick, Mumbai: Umesh 
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko.
Yojana (english): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan, 
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.  
e-mail (editorial): sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA, a development monthly published since 
1957, is a theme-based journal providing in-depth 
analyses and views on socio-economic issues in 
the broader framework of government policies. 
Although published by the Ministry of Information 
and Broadcasting, YOJANA is not restricted to 
expressing the official point of view.
diScLaiMer
l 	 The	 vie ws	 e xpressed	 in	 various	 articles	 are	
those	 of	 the	 authors	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 nec essarily	
re flect	 the	 vie ws	 of	 the	 Go vernmen t	 or	 the	
organisation/ s	the y	work	f or .
l Map s/flags	 used	 in	 the	 articles	 are	 only	
indic ative	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 re flect	 the	 politic al	
map	 or	 legal	 represen t ation	 of	 the	 flag	 of	 India /
an y	other	c oun tr y .
l The	 inf ographics/fig ures	 are	 pro vided	 b y	 the	
authors	 through	 their	 reliable	 sourc es	 and	
YOJANA 	 claims	 no	 re sponsibility 	 f or	 the	 same.
l Images,	 graphics	 and	 illus trations,	 whe re ver	
used,	 are	 mos tly	 sourc ed	 from	 go vernme n t	
channels	and	are	indic ative	in	nature.
l YOJANA 	 does	 not	 o wn	 responsi bility	
regarding	 the	 c on t en ts	 of	 the	 advertisemen ts.	
The	 re aders	 are	 reque s t ed	 t o	 verif y	 the	 claim s	
made	 in	 the	 advertisemen ts	 regarding	 c ourses,	
c areer -guidanc e	book s	or	ins titutions.
l YOJANA doesn't 	 e ndorse 	 or 	 promot e 	 an y 	 brands	
or 	 privat e 	 e n tities 	 presen t e d 	 as 	 c ase 	 s tudies 	 in 	 an y	 
of 	 the 	 article s.
SuBScriP tiOn/Grievance S
email: pdjucir@gmail.com 
Phone: 011-24367453  
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 am- 6:00 pm)
Postal address: abhishek chaturvedi, Editor, 
Journals Unit, Publications Division, Room No. 
779, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi 
Road, New Delhi-110 003.
Please	 not e	 that	 it	 will	 t ak e	 atleas t	 eigh t	
week s	 t o	 s t art	 your	 sub scrip tion.	 Kindly	 raise	 
your	 queries/grie vanc es	 about	 non	 rec eip t	 of	 the	
journals	only	aft er	this	period.
Warli Art on the front cover by Gajanan 
Ghongade
in thiS iSSue
number of pages: 64
next iSSue: Literature and azadi
Details of the Sales Outlets of the Publications Division on Page 31
YOJANA is published in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, 
Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
re GuLar S
dO YOu KnO w? central assistance for w elfare of Scheduled tribes ................... 46
Our BOOKS : indian t ribes: through the ages .............................................. Cover-III
POLICIES ON SCHEDULED TRIBES 
Harsh Chouhan  .................................. 7
Since 1957
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES 
Dr H Sudarshan, Dr Tanya Seshadri ..... 11
THE NORTH EASTERN MILIEU 
Amlan Biswas ................................... 17
TRIBALS IN GUJARAT 
Dilip Rana ........................................ 23
SONGS Of fREEDOM : 
CHHATTISGARH 
Dr Sushil Trivedi ............................... 29
RICH HERITAGE Of GONDS 
Dr Shamrao Koreti ............................ 35
TRIBALS IN JHARKHAND 
Vivek Vaibhav ................................... 41
SPORTS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED 
AREAS 
Shivendra Chaturvedi ........................ 49
INDIGENOUS CULTURE 
Dr Madhura Dutta ............................ 55
4 YOJANA   July 2022
Universal Basic Income
I am one of your regular readers. I have gone through 
the May 2022 issue of your prestigious magazine. 
The editorial has highlighted the issue of 
safeguarding the interests of the people in healthcare, 
old age, unemployment, etc. There is an urgent need 
to formulate and implement Universal Basic Income 
Scheme a top priority across the country through 
the Central Government, to cover all the segments of 
society for achieving the objective of self reliance and 
sustainability. 
– Ravi Bhushan  
Kurukshetra, Haryana  
bhushanravishd@gmail.com 
Collectible Issue on Fintech
Yojana is close to my heart. Since my college days, I 
have been regularly reading this popular magazine without 
fail in which honesty and impartiality are the hallmark 
traits. It is a storehouse of knowledge. April 2022 Yojana 
is a collectible issue consisting of articles like “Digital 
Identity”, “Quality Education”, “Fintech Revolution” and 
“Fintech Beyond Boundaries” that are excellent pieces of 
writing. They are instructive and informative. The editorial 
is also heart touching. I sincerely thank Yojana team for 
their honest effort and dedication.
– Prabhudutt Dash 
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 
prabhuduttdash@gmail.com
Article on Agriculture
“Safety Net for Farmers” by Jagdeep Saxena is an 
enlightening article with details that must reach the field-
level farmers through Gram Panchayats, most of whom are 
unaware of the various schemes. 
– Rajiv N Magal 
Sakaleshpur (Hassan Dist), Karnataka 
rajivmagal2016@gmail.com
Reflections
I purchased April 2022 issue of Y ojana and was thrilled 
to read varied excellent articles on Fintech, Digtal Identity, 
Quality Education, in a magazine at an affordable price of 
Rs 22 only. It may be noted that while going through the 
article on “Quality Education” by Shailendra Sharma and 
Dr Saneel Thakur, the authors have mentioned NEP 2022 
as New Educational Policy which is National Education 
Policy (NEP) 2022. 
– Dr Banwari Lal Gupta 
Trikuta Nagar, Jammu  
blgupta1959@gmail.com
In-sync with UPSC Syllabus
I am a regular reader of this monthly journal. I am a 
huge fan of Yojana because it covers relevant topics and 
expresses them in easy language to make it comprehensive 
for all to read. It has helped in securing success in many 
exams. I thank Yojana for being the best helper in my 
preparation. It is helping me a lot to remain determined, 
consistent, and inspired during the course, especially with 
the articles that are helpful as per the syllabus. Thanks to 
the Yojana team for the help you provided during my entire 
UPSC journey. 
– Gajavalli Kalyani  
Hyderabad, Telangana 
kalyanigajavalli1105@gmail.com
Broad Spectrum of Views 
The issue on Union Budget 2022 was quite insightful. I 
must appreciate the broad spectrum of views covered under 
the theme. Promoting technology-enabled development, 
energy transition and climate action remained at the heart 
of this year’s budget. In other words, the Government 
is aiming at a long-term vision of achieving sustainable 
growth. My best regards to the team of Yojana.
– Zahinuddin  
Mumbai, Maharashtra  
zahinuddin1992@gmail.com
Inbox
sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA   July 2022 5
Editorial
YOJANA
Tribals: Sustaining the Roots
T
he tribal communities of India are deep-rooted with the nature, indigenous 
livelihood, oral traditions, folk culture and are mostly confined to their own 
people. The word ‘tribe’ was originally a latin word tribus, meaning ‘the poor’, later 
used to specify the masses. Living in bucolic simplicity, in the colonial ethnography 
and anthropology, they offer invaluable heritage to our country, along with historical 
significance through their participation in India’s struggle for freedom. These 
self-reliant communities enjoyed the autonomy of governance over the territory 
they inhabited until the colonial rulers started merging them with the dominant 
population. The spirit of Swaraj has been expressed very poignantly in the two-lined 
rhyme of the folk song ‘Dadariya’ in Chhattisgarhi:
Diya mange bati, bati mange tel
Su-raj lebo angrej, katka debe jail?
The lamp needs a wick, and the wick needs oil. 
Oh, British! We will take Swaraj (self-rule) 
no matter how many times you put us in jail. 
Tribals with their organic lifestyle and beliefs challenge the modern way of 
reckless living and development needs. Their sustainable living provides lessons to the world struggling with pressing 
issues like climate change and environmental issues.
From time to time, the tribals have faced displacement and deprivation to facilitate various developmental projects 
such as setting up of industrial operations, construction of dams, etc., leading to deforestation, and further pushing them 
towards the periphery of the social construct. The common expectation from them to follow the mainstream culture for 
their own growth, hinders with their beliefs and practices, thus erasing their identities under pre-established systems. 
Therefore, it becomes challenging and at the same time necessary that they are recognised for who they are and attributed 
a certain unique position in the society. The Article 46 of the Constitution aims that ‘the State shall promote with special 
care, the educational and economic interest of the weaker section of the people, and, in particular, the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation’.
Thereafter, the Government strengthened these rights with Articles 15 and 16– further protecting the STs. The 
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ‘to prevent the commission of offenses or 
atrocities against the members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to provide relief and rehabilitation for the 
victims of atrocities’ was passed by the Parliament, realising the significance and urgence to preserve these communities. 
Several Schemes and policies are being introduced to be inclusive of the tribal communities and recognising their vulnerable 
situation which prevents them from receiving egalitarian privileges and social status. Recently, the birth anniversary of the 
renowned tribal leader Birsa Munda on 15
th
 November has been announced as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ to commemorate 
the struggles and sacrifices of tribal freedom fighters during the independence movement.
In contemporary India, the tribal communities continue to outshine in various fields such as education, sports, various 
art forms (dance, music, painting, etc.), and add to the cultural presence of India. Our country is making efforts towards 
restoring the legacy of the tribal communities, their identity and inheritance, paying homage to them being an indispensable 
part of our society. It is imperative that the policymakers continue to safeguard the tribal rights so as to ensure inclusive 
development of the society.                                                                                                                                                   ?
YOJANA   July 2022 7
The framers of the Constitution took note of the fact that certain communities in the 
country were suffering from extreme social, educational and economic backwardness 
on account of the primitive agricultural practices, lack of infrastructure facilities and 
geographical isolation. In order to uplift such communities, a provision was made in 
the Constitution of India, in the form of reservation for them in education, employment 
and in the governing bodies, as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The 
Constitution of India in Article 366 (25) prescribes that the Scheduled Tribes mean ‘such 
tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 of the Constitution to be 
Scheduled Tribes’.
1
 STs are notified in 30 States/UTs and the number of individual ethnic 
groups, etc., notified as STs is 705. 
Policies on Scheduled Tribes
Harsh Chouhan
The author is Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Email: chairperson@ncst.nic.in
WELFARE
raditionally, Scheduled Tribes enjoyed 
total autonomy over the governance of 
their affairs. This system of autonomy 
was dismantled during the British Raj in 
India. Tribal communities in India were viewed with 
derision by the British and various legislations were 
brought to alienate them from their ancestral rights and 
further criminalised upon demanding their rights. The 
Constitution makers adopted specific measures to protect 
the rights of STs. Article 46 of the Constitution provides 
that ‘the State shall promote with special care, the 
educational and economic interest of the weaker section 
of the people, and, in particular, the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from 
social injustice and all forms of exploitation’.
1
 Similarly, 
Articles 15 and 16 empowered the Government for 
making special provisions for the Scheduled Tribes. In 
addition to the constitutional provisions, the Parliament 
has passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ‘to prevent the 
commission of offenses or atrocities against the members 
of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to provide 
relief and rehabilitation for the victims of atrocities’.
2
 The 
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers 
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 ‘recognises 
and vests forest rights and occupation on forest land to 
Scheduled Tribes’.
3
 
T
It is important that the constitutional rights 
given to Scheduled Tribes are protected and special 
emphasis is given to them in the planning process. For 
the purpose of protecting these rights, the makers of 
the Constitution created the National Commission for 
Scheduled Tribes (NCST) which is duty-bound to act 
Page 5


July 2022
YOJANA
Volume-66
No. 07
A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.
Rig Veda
Website: www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
@DPD_India
@publicationsdivision
@dpd_india
Editor 
Shuchita chaturvedi
Joint dirEctor, Production 
d K c hrudhainath
our repreSentativeS 
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: BK Kiranmai, 
Bhubaneswar: Itishree Singh Rathaur, Chennai: 
Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Maruf Alam, Hyderabad: 
Krishna Vandana P , Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur 
Devgan, Kolkata: Khurshid Mallick, Mumbai: Umesh 
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko.
Yojana (english): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan, 
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.  
e-mail (editorial): sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA, a development monthly published since 
1957, is a theme-based journal providing in-depth 
analyses and views on socio-economic issues in 
the broader framework of government policies. 
Although published by the Ministry of Information 
and Broadcasting, YOJANA is not restricted to 
expressing the official point of view.
diScLaiMer
l 	 The	 vie ws	 e xpressed	 in	 various	 articles	 are	
those	 of	 the	 authors	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 nec essarily	
re flect	 the	 vie ws	 of	 the	 Go vernmen t	 or	 the	
organisation/ s	the y	work	f or .
l Map s/flags	 used	 in	 the	 articles	 are	 only	
indic ative	 and	 the y	 do	 not	 re flect	 the	 politic al	
map	 or	 legal	 represen t ation	 of	 the	 flag	 of	 India /
an y	other	c oun tr y .
l The	 inf ographics/fig ures	 are	 pro vided	 b y	 the	
authors	 through	 their	 reliable	 sourc es	 and	
YOJANA 	 claims	 no	 re sponsibility 	 f or	 the	 same.
l Images,	 graphics	 and	 illus trations,	 whe re ver	
used,	 are	 mos tly	 sourc ed	 from	 go vernme n t	
channels	and	are	indic ative	in	nature.
l YOJANA 	 does	 not	 o wn	 responsi bility	
regarding	 the	 c on t en ts	 of	 the	 advertisemen ts.	
The	 re aders	 are	 reque s t ed	 t o	 verif y	 the	 claim s	
made	 in	 the	 advertisemen ts	 regarding	 c ourses,	
c areer -guidanc e	book s	or	ins titutions.
l YOJANA doesn't 	 e ndorse 	 or 	 promot e 	 an y 	 brands	
or 	 privat e 	 e n tities 	 presen t e d 	 as 	 c ase 	 s tudies 	 in 	 an y	 
of 	 the 	 article s.
SuBScriP tiOn/Grievance S
email: pdjucir@gmail.com 
Phone: 011-24367453  
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 am- 6:00 pm)
Postal address: abhishek chaturvedi, Editor, 
Journals Unit, Publications Division, Room No. 
779, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi 
Road, New Delhi-110 003.
Please	 not e	 that	 it	 will	 t ak e	 atleas t	 eigh t	
week s	 t o	 s t art	 your	 sub scrip tion.	 Kindly	 raise	 
your	 queries/grie vanc es	 about	 non	 rec eip t	 of	 the	
journals	only	aft er	this	period.
Warli Art on the front cover by Gajanan 
Ghongade
in thiS iSSue
number of pages: 64
next iSSue: Literature and azadi
Details of the Sales Outlets of the Publications Division on Page 31
YOJANA is published in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, 
Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
re GuLar S
dO YOu KnO w? central assistance for w elfare of Scheduled tribes ................... 46
Our BOOKS : indian t ribes: through the ages .............................................. Cover-III
POLICIES ON SCHEDULED TRIBES 
Harsh Chouhan  .................................. 7
Since 1957
HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES 
Dr H Sudarshan, Dr Tanya Seshadri ..... 11
THE NORTH EASTERN MILIEU 
Amlan Biswas ................................... 17
TRIBALS IN GUJARAT 
Dilip Rana ........................................ 23
SONGS Of fREEDOM : 
CHHATTISGARH 
Dr Sushil Trivedi ............................... 29
RICH HERITAGE Of GONDS 
Dr Shamrao Koreti ............................ 35
TRIBALS IN JHARKHAND 
Vivek Vaibhav ................................... 41
SPORTS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED 
AREAS 
Shivendra Chaturvedi ........................ 49
INDIGENOUS CULTURE 
Dr Madhura Dutta ............................ 55
4 YOJANA   July 2022
Universal Basic Income
I am one of your regular readers. I have gone through 
the May 2022 issue of your prestigious magazine. 
The editorial has highlighted the issue of 
safeguarding the interests of the people in healthcare, 
old age, unemployment, etc. There is an urgent need 
to formulate and implement Universal Basic Income 
Scheme a top priority across the country through 
the Central Government, to cover all the segments of 
society for achieving the objective of self reliance and 
sustainability. 
– Ravi Bhushan  
Kurukshetra, Haryana  
bhushanravishd@gmail.com 
Collectible Issue on Fintech
Yojana is close to my heart. Since my college days, I 
have been regularly reading this popular magazine without 
fail in which honesty and impartiality are the hallmark 
traits. It is a storehouse of knowledge. April 2022 Yojana 
is a collectible issue consisting of articles like “Digital 
Identity”, “Quality Education”, “Fintech Revolution” and 
“Fintech Beyond Boundaries” that are excellent pieces of 
writing. They are instructive and informative. The editorial 
is also heart touching. I sincerely thank Yojana team for 
their honest effort and dedication.
– Prabhudutt Dash 
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 
prabhuduttdash@gmail.com
Article on Agriculture
“Safety Net for Farmers” by Jagdeep Saxena is an 
enlightening article with details that must reach the field-
level farmers through Gram Panchayats, most of whom are 
unaware of the various schemes. 
– Rajiv N Magal 
Sakaleshpur (Hassan Dist), Karnataka 
rajivmagal2016@gmail.com
Reflections
I purchased April 2022 issue of Y ojana and was thrilled 
to read varied excellent articles on Fintech, Digtal Identity, 
Quality Education, in a magazine at an affordable price of 
Rs 22 only. It may be noted that while going through the 
article on “Quality Education” by Shailendra Sharma and 
Dr Saneel Thakur, the authors have mentioned NEP 2022 
as New Educational Policy which is National Education 
Policy (NEP) 2022. 
– Dr Banwari Lal Gupta 
Trikuta Nagar, Jammu  
blgupta1959@gmail.com
In-sync with UPSC Syllabus
I am a regular reader of this monthly journal. I am a 
huge fan of Yojana because it covers relevant topics and 
expresses them in easy language to make it comprehensive 
for all to read. It has helped in securing success in many 
exams. I thank Yojana for being the best helper in my 
preparation. It is helping me a lot to remain determined, 
consistent, and inspired during the course, especially with 
the articles that are helpful as per the syllabus. Thanks to 
the Yojana team for the help you provided during my entire 
UPSC journey. 
– Gajavalli Kalyani  
Hyderabad, Telangana 
kalyanigajavalli1105@gmail.com
Broad Spectrum of Views 
The issue on Union Budget 2022 was quite insightful. I 
must appreciate the broad spectrum of views covered under 
the theme. Promoting technology-enabled development, 
energy transition and climate action remained at the heart 
of this year’s budget. In other words, the Government 
is aiming at a long-term vision of achieving sustainable 
growth. My best regards to the team of Yojana.
– Zahinuddin  
Mumbai, Maharashtra  
zahinuddin1992@gmail.com
Inbox
sec-yojanaeng-moib@gov.in
YOJANA   July 2022 5
Editorial
YOJANA
Tribals: Sustaining the Roots
T
he tribal communities of India are deep-rooted with the nature, indigenous 
livelihood, oral traditions, folk culture and are mostly confined to their own 
people. The word ‘tribe’ was originally a latin word tribus, meaning ‘the poor’, later 
used to specify the masses. Living in bucolic simplicity, in the colonial ethnography 
and anthropology, they offer invaluable heritage to our country, along with historical 
significance through their participation in India’s struggle for freedom. These 
self-reliant communities enjoyed the autonomy of governance over the territory 
they inhabited until the colonial rulers started merging them with the dominant 
population. The spirit of Swaraj has been expressed very poignantly in the two-lined 
rhyme of the folk song ‘Dadariya’ in Chhattisgarhi:
Diya mange bati, bati mange tel
Su-raj lebo angrej, katka debe jail?
The lamp needs a wick, and the wick needs oil. 
Oh, British! We will take Swaraj (self-rule) 
no matter how many times you put us in jail. 
Tribals with their organic lifestyle and beliefs challenge the modern way of 
reckless living and development needs. Their sustainable living provides lessons to the world struggling with pressing 
issues like climate change and environmental issues.
From time to time, the tribals have faced displacement and deprivation to facilitate various developmental projects 
such as setting up of industrial operations, construction of dams, etc., leading to deforestation, and further pushing them 
towards the periphery of the social construct. The common expectation from them to follow the mainstream culture for 
their own growth, hinders with their beliefs and practices, thus erasing their identities under pre-established systems. 
Therefore, it becomes challenging and at the same time necessary that they are recognised for who they are and attributed 
a certain unique position in the society. The Article 46 of the Constitution aims that ‘the State shall promote with special 
care, the educational and economic interest of the weaker section of the people, and, in particular, the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation’.
Thereafter, the Government strengthened these rights with Articles 15 and 16– further protecting the STs. The 
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ‘to prevent the commission of offenses or 
atrocities against the members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to provide relief and rehabilitation for the 
victims of atrocities’ was passed by the Parliament, realising the significance and urgence to preserve these communities. 
Several Schemes and policies are being introduced to be inclusive of the tribal communities and recognising their vulnerable 
situation which prevents them from receiving egalitarian privileges and social status. Recently, the birth anniversary of the 
renowned tribal leader Birsa Munda on 15
th
 November has been announced as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ to commemorate 
the struggles and sacrifices of tribal freedom fighters during the independence movement.
In contemporary India, the tribal communities continue to outshine in various fields such as education, sports, various 
art forms (dance, music, painting, etc.), and add to the cultural presence of India. Our country is making efforts towards 
restoring the legacy of the tribal communities, their identity and inheritance, paying homage to them being an indispensable 
part of our society. It is imperative that the policymakers continue to safeguard the tribal rights so as to ensure inclusive 
development of the society.                                                                                                                                                   ?
YOJANA   July 2022 7
The framers of the Constitution took note of the fact that certain communities in the 
country were suffering from extreme social, educational and economic backwardness 
on account of the primitive agricultural practices, lack of infrastructure facilities and 
geographical isolation. In order to uplift such communities, a provision was made in 
the Constitution of India, in the form of reservation for them in education, employment 
and in the governing bodies, as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The 
Constitution of India in Article 366 (25) prescribes that the Scheduled Tribes mean ‘such 
tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 of the Constitution to be 
Scheduled Tribes’.
1
 STs are notified in 30 States/UTs and the number of individual ethnic 
groups, etc., notified as STs is 705. 
Policies on Scheduled Tribes
Harsh Chouhan
The author is Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Email: chairperson@ncst.nic.in
WELFARE
raditionally, Scheduled Tribes enjoyed 
total autonomy over the governance of 
their affairs. This system of autonomy 
was dismantled during the British Raj in 
India. Tribal communities in India were viewed with 
derision by the British and various legislations were 
brought to alienate them from their ancestral rights and 
further criminalised upon demanding their rights. The 
Constitution makers adopted specific measures to protect 
the rights of STs. Article 46 of the Constitution provides 
that ‘the State shall promote with special care, the 
educational and economic interest of the weaker section 
of the people, and, in particular, the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from 
social injustice and all forms of exploitation’.
1
 Similarly, 
Articles 15 and 16 empowered the Government for 
making special provisions for the Scheduled Tribes. In 
addition to the constitutional provisions, the Parliament 
has passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ‘to prevent the 
commission of offenses or atrocities against the members 
of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to provide 
relief and rehabilitation for the victims of atrocities’.
2
 The 
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers 
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 ‘recognises 
and vests forest rights and occupation on forest land to 
Scheduled Tribes’.
3
 
T
It is important that the constitutional rights 
given to Scheduled Tribes are protected and special 
emphasis is given to them in the planning process. For 
the purpose of protecting these rights, the makers of 
the Constitution created the National Commission for 
Scheduled Tribes (NCST) which is duty-bound to act 
8 YOJANA   July 2022
as a watchdog and think tank for the STs. NCST has 
a constitutional duty to protect the rights of the tribal 
people and ensure the responsibilities of different 
institutions for their welfare.
NCST is a constitutional body established under 
Article 338A of the Constitution of India. Its organisational 
structure comprises a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and 
three Members, appointed by the President of India. The 
Commission has a permanent Secretariat in New Delhi, 
six regional offices across the country, and has the powers 
of a Civil Court.
A tribal person is usually not a hitagraahi, i.e.,  
self-centered or individualistic one; he/she is generally a 
aparmaarthi (altruist). The tribal people accord priority 
to the community before pursuing individual gains. The 
community is the repository of knowledge and resources. 
Their vulnerability is the result of the apathy of other 
communities towards them. 
The issues of Janjati, i.e., tribal communities in 
India are unique in nature, owing 
to their distinct cultural pattern and 
value systems across different regions. 
Wherever they live, they have been 
following a developmental approach 
ensuring ecological balance along 
with economic development, which 
is termed as Sustainable Development 
in the modern world. Considering 
this perspective, specific needs were 
identified and NCST had been given 
a special constitutional status which is 
envisaged as follows:
y y to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the 
safeguards provided for the Scheduled Tribes;
y y to inquire into specific complaints with respect to the 
deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled 
Tribes;
y y to participate and advise on the planning process of 
socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes 
and to evaluate the progress of their development 
under the Union and any State;
y y to make such reports and recommendations as to 
the measures that should be taken by the Union or 
any State for the effective implementation of those 
safeguards and other measures for the protection, 
welfare and socio-economic development of the 
Scheduled Tribes;
y y to discharge other such functions in relation to 
the protection, welfare and development and 
advancement of the Scheduled Tribes, and
y y to present to the President, annually and at such 
other times, as the Commission may deem fit, 
reports upon the working of those safeguards. The 
Union and every State Government shall consult 
the Commission on all major policy matters 
affecting Scheduled Tribes.
While investigating the matters referred to in  
sub-clause (a) or inquiring into any complaint referred 
to in sub-clause (b) of Clause 5, the Commission 
has all the powers of a Civil Court trying a suit and 
in particular in respect of the following matters
4
, 
namely:
y y Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any 
person from any part of India and examining him on 
oath;
y y Requiring the discovery and production of any 
documents;
y y Receiving evidence on affidavits;
y y Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof 
from any court or office;
y y Issuing summons/
communications for the examination 
of witnesses and documents;
y y Any other matters which the 
President may by rule determine.
In accordance with Clause 9 of 
Article 338A of the Constitution, ‘the 
Union and every State Government 
shall consult the Commission on all 
major policy matters affecting the 
Scheduled Tribes’.
5
Article 46 of the Constitution 
provides that ‘the State shall 
promote with special care, 
the educational and economic 
interest of the weaker section of 
the people, and, in particular, 
the Scheduled Castes and the 
Scheduled Tribes, and shall 
protect them from social injustice 
and all forms of exploitation’.