Tribal Min seeks to merge 5 schemes for ST students

Aiming to address the "weaknesses" in its existing five stand-alone centrally-sponsored schemes, the Tribal Affairs Ministry is seeking to merge them under an umbrella scheme for education of Scheduled Tribe students.
According to a senior official in the ministry, the draft of the scheme will be moved to the Union Cabinet for approval soon.
The five schemes to be merged, include pre-matric scholarship for ST students, post-matric scholarship for ST students, setting up of ashram schools in tribal sub-plan area, scheme of hostels for ST boys and girls and the scheme of vocational training in tribal areas.
According to the official, the existing five schemes which are being implemented by this ministry, have made an impact on the educational development of ST children to some extent but they suffer from "several weaknesses".

"The scheme outlays are small for any visible impact. Each scheme requires separate sanction for release of funds, maintenance of separate bank accounts, separate audit. Also there is lack of flexibility in use of funds due to schemes being operated in silos.
"In the current system, reappropriation of funds from one scheme to another is not possible at the implementation level even if one scheme urgently requires additional funds while they may be lying unused in another scheme," the official said.

In the newly-formulated scheme, though the overall outlay would remain the same, flexibilities available under the merged scheme will cater to diverse needs of states and UTs through a cafeteria approach.

"One of the reasons for formulation of the umbrella scheme is to bring meaninful synergy and convergence and avoid duplication of efforts in implementation and to bridge the critical gaps in an effective manner," the official said.
The scheme will expand the scope and the flexibility of interventions that are now not available under the stand-alone schemes, he added.