Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (PIB, PRID-2158295) | Photo Credit: Paresh Kumar
Clear Cut Livelihood Desk
New Delhi, UPDATED: Aug 21, 2025 05:51 IST
In an ambitious move to uplift the nation’s tribal communities, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST), a cross-ministry strategy designed to accelerate development in tribal-dominated areas.
The plan brings together 41 ministries and departments, each dedicating a portion of their scheme budgets specifically toward tribal welfare. This coordinated effort targets foundational gaps in education, healthcare, agriculture, irrigation, roads, housing, electrification, employment generation, and skill development. This will help in delivering a holistic model for inclusive growth.
Photo Credit: Paresh Kumar
Implemented under the DAPST framework, India’s flagship rural welfare programme, the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan was launched on October 2, 2024. It spans 63,843 villages, covering 30 states and union territories, and aims to improve infrastructure and livelihood opportunities in tribal regions. The initiative is anticipated to benefit over 5 crore tribals across 549 districts and 2,911 blocks over the next five years.
Complementing DAPST is the merger of two pre-existing schemes into the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM). It integrates the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and support for tribal product marketing, strengthening income generation and market access for tribal producers.
This multi-tiered, multi-ministry approach signals a paradigm shift from piecemeal tribal aid to integrated, infrastructure-backed development. For the first time, the tribal development agenda is being built within every major policy framework.
As India works toward Viksit Bharat, this leap from schemes to structured strategy could be the game-changer that ensures no one is left behind in our growth story.
