Centre is committed to empowering tribal communities: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday emphasized the need for working towards empowering the tribal communities, and said that the Centre's motto is 'Sab ka Sath, Sab ka Vikas'.

Citing the example of President Draupadi Murmu, Union Minister Pradhan said, "In my opinion, this is an achievement of the nation that President Droupadi Murmu, who comes from a remote village in Odisha, reached the highest constitutional post."

"The Centre is committed to uplifting the tribal population, and providing education, health and employment," he said while speaking to reporters.

He said, "In 1999, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had created the Tribal Ministry to look after the issues of tribal communities."

The Minister informed that for the first time National Tribal Research Institute was established to look into the issues of tribals at the national level, and said that an attempt had been made to highlight the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle.

Pradhan referred to Bhagwan Birsa Munda to Laxman Naik, Nirmal Munda, Madho Singh and many more freedom fighters in this context.

'Tribal Pride Day' is being celebrated to commemorate Bhagwan Birsa Munda's birth anniversary. Tribal museums are also being set up across the country, he said.

He said that the government is also taking steps to increase the production and marketing of forest products of tribal communities and trying to make tie-up with e-commerce platforms to increase their sales.

"If I present the financial details of the Centre-sponsored schemes, about Rs 19,437 crore was spent till 2014-15. Whereas, the Modi government allocated Rs91,000 crores in the budget of 2020-21," he said.

"The budget of 3,832 Crores for 'Eklavya Vidyalayas', in 2014-15, has been increased to Rupees 8,500 Crores in 2022-23," he pointed out.