Tribal Rights

In a first, Supreme Court introduces SC, ST quotas in staff recruitment

In a first, the Supreme Court has introduced a formal reservation policy for the direct appointment and promotion of its staffers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The decision was communicated in a circular issued on June 24 to all Supreme Court employees. "As per the directions of the Competent Authority, it is to notify for the information of all concerned that the Model Reservation Roster and Register has been uploaded on the Supnet (internal email network) and it is made effective from June 23, 2025. "It is to inform further that in case of objections/representations raised by any staff member about mistakes or inaccuracies in the roster or register, they may inform about the same to the Registrar (Recruitment)," the circular said. As per the circular and the model roster now in effect, top court employees will receive a 15 per cent quota and ST employees a 7.5 per cent quota in promotions. According to the policy, the quota benefits will be available to ...

Odisha Govt. plans to purchase land from needy tribals and dalits

To prevent non-tribals and non-dalits from grabbing land of STs and SCs, the Odisha government is planning to directly purchase land from needy people for which a corpus fund will be created, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said. Though there has been no such policy so far, Pujari on Thursday said. He that it is in the planning stage and to be implemented only after proper consultations with all the stakeholders including the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The minister said that though there is a ban on non-tribals or non-dalits purchasing land from adivasis and SCs, it is noticed that they acquire land by different means. According to the provisions of the Odisha Land Reforms (OLR) Act, 1960, land belonging to STs and SCs cannot be purchased by non-tribals and non-SCs without the approval of the sub-collector. The minister said that it is found that the needy tribals and dalits sell their lands to non-tribals for ...

Budget 2025: Centre boosts Tribal ministry funding by 45%, focus on infra

The central government has increased the budget for the Union Tribal Ministry by over 45 per cent compared to the last year, allocating more funds to bridge infrastructure gaps in tribal-dominated areas across the country. For 2025-26, the ministry has been allocated Rs 14,925.81 crore, up from Rs 10,237.33 crore in 2024-25. Eklavya Model Residential Schools, which provide quality education to tribal students, will receive Rs 7,088.60 crore, up from Rs 4,748 crore last year. The budget for the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission, which ensures year-round income-generating opportunities for tribals, has been increased from Rs 152 crore to Rs 380 crore. The government has allocated Rs 335.97 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY), compared to Rs 127.51 crore last year. Under PMAAGY, funds are provided to states and union territories with Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations to improve education, healthcare, agriculture, skill development and employment ...

House panel flags fund lapses in scheme for vulnerable tribal groups

A parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern over the lack of funds disbursed to key states under the Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) scheme during 2022-23. No allocations were made to states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which have significant tribal populations, making the Committee to question how planned developmental work was carried out in the absence of resources. The parliamentary panel report on Social Justice and Empowerment for demand for grants by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs emphasised the need to avoid the pitfalls of previous programmes, citing underutilisation of allocated funds, delays in submission of utilisation certificates by states and procedural inefficiencies. The report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. "The Committee note that during the period 2020-21 to 2022-23, the budgetary allocation made under Development of particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVT

Birsa Munda's 150th anniversary: A life cut short but an immortal legacy

Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on November 15 is celebrated as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' to celebrate his legacy and observe the role of the tribal population in preserving India's heritage

A look at the 'many firsts' in tribal-welfare initiatives in India

Over the past decade, the Narendra Modi-led government has introduced a range of initiatives focussed on the holistic welfare of the tribal population, says the Bharatiya Janata Party

Tribal identity takes poll position as both, JMM and BJP trying to woo them

Soren government's nod to form a panel to study plight of tribals of Jharkhand staying in Assam and other states has sparked debates, even as both JMM and BJP claim to protect tribal rights

What is Clause 6 of Assam Accord? Himanta govt to implement its provisions

State govt to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord recommendations, sets 1951 as cut-off year: What does this mean?

Adivasi Divas 2024: All you need to know about Indigenous Peoples Day

India celebrates Adivasi Divas on August 9 every year to honour the indigenous tribal communities known as Adivasis, which are acknowledged as the country's original inhabitants

Manipur: ITLF to stage demonstrations on June 24 for separate UT

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Thursday said that its members would stage non-violent demonstrations on June 24 to press for its demand for a Union territory for Kuki-Zo people of Manipur. The ITLF, in a statement, said that they would also protest autonomous district council elections, which the tribal outfit alleged created divisions among the Kuki-Zo people. "We request everyone to join in great numbers in order to demonstrate our political demands," it said. Rallies will be taken out in Pherzwal, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, where total shutdown will be imposed on the day. "We have demanded separation from Manipur, and so far, there has been no settlement to our political demands," it said, urging people not to participate in the ADC polls.

Budget 2024 to have Rs 5 trillion allocation for tribal community: Minister

Union Budget 2024: In the interim budget announced on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated Rs 1.3 trillion to Tribal Affairs Ministry

Modi 3.0: Jual Oram takes charge as Tribal Affairs minister in new govt

Veteran BJP leader Jual Oram, who holds the distinction of being the country's first Tribal Affairs minister, assumed the responsibility again on Friday and said tribal education and health will be the top priorities of the Modi government. The 63-year-old leader made his way to the Lok Sabha for the fifth time after defeating BJD candidate and former Indian Hockey captain Dilip Tirkey by 1,38,808 votes on his home turf Sundargarh in Odisha. "This is the third time I am taking charge of the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry. I pray to Lord Jagannath, and I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this responsibility," Oram told reporters after taking charge. He said tribal education and health will be the Modi government's top priorities. "The biggest issue in the tribal areas of the country is education. I thank PM Modi for working on the issue. I told PM Modi this when I met him in the first Modi government. He asked what one thing is the most important for tribals. I said education.

The hidden cost of India's tiger reserves: Loss of tribal rights

Tribal communities bear the brunt of conservation policies 50 years after a key programme on tiger conservation was launched

PM Modi's victory essential to ensure prosperity of tribals: Tripura CM

Dr Saha said this at a large election rally held in Kanchanpur of the North district in support of BJP candidate Kriti Singh Debbarma

Politicians luring us with half-baked sops: Karnataka's Jenu Kuruba tribe

Crammed into a tiny room and learning for about five to six hours may not be what children look forward to. But it's obvious that the seven-odd children, aged between 3 and 10, are really happy to be sitting inside the spanking new anganwadi at the Nagarhole Gadde Hadi, a settlement consisting of about 60 families of the Jenu Kuruba tribe in the forests of Nagarhole in Karnataka. The children are aware that it's a privilege that no one before them had enjoyed the anganwadi is the only pucca construction in that forest settlement. The 12x12 room suddenly popped up in July last year, after years of cajoling, possibly because the election is round the corner, said anganwadi worker J K Bhagya. "We even got a toilet. Before this we were operating from a shed," she added, pointing to a bamboo structure with a tarpaulin for the roof next door. These few and far between sops for votes' are the reason why the Jenu Kuruba community, which is fighting the government for decades for even the

PM Modi 'failed' to protect rights of tribals in Chhattisgarh, says Cong

The Congress on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "failed" to protect the rights of tribal communities in Chhattisgarh and asked whether he will ever meaningfully commit himself to tribal welfare. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Bastar. "The dealings of the BJP here (Bastar) have shown that their friendship with corporate cronies runs much deeper than their sense of duty to the people," he said. "We hope that the PM can shed some light on why he has failed to protect the rights of tribal communities in the state," Ramesh said. He claimed that the dense, biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forest, considered the "lungs of the state" are under threat from the BJP and their "favourite crony", Adani Enterprises. "When the Congress Party was in power, we had 40 coal blocks in this forest cancelled by the Union Coal Ministry to protect the sacred forest. Since the BJP has returned, they have reversed th

CAA not to be implemented in most tribal areas in Northeastern states

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which came into effect on Monday, will not be implemented in most tribal areas in Northeastern states, including those granted special status under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. According to the law, it is not going to be implemented in all Northeastern states where Inner Line Permit (ILP) is required for a visit by people of other parts of the country. The ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. The tribal areas, where autonomous councils were created under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, were also exempted from the purview of the CAA, officials said quoting from the rues of the law that were notified on Monday. Such autonomous councils are in existence in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. These include Karbi Anglong, Dila Hasao and Bodoland Territorial Council areas in Assam, Garo Hills in Meghalaya and tribal areas in Tripura. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, ..

Assam to introduce 6 tribal languages as medium of instruction in schools

The other decisions of the state cabinet are - for the protection of land rights of indigenous communities

Tribal violence in Papua New Guinea kills 26 combatants, bystanders

At least 26 combatants and an unconfirmed number of bystanders were killed in a gunbattle between warring tribes in Papua New Guinea, police said Monday. A tribe, their allies and mercenaries were on their way to attack a neighboring tribe when they were ambushed Sunday in Enga province in the South Pacific nation's remote highlands, Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Acting Superintendent George Kakas said. Police Commissioner David Manning later described the clash as a gunbattle between warring tribes. An unconfirmed number of villagers also were killed. Police reinforcements were sent to the scene of the battle, Manning said. At this point, it's not clear exactly how far we have moved into the conflict there, Manning told Australian Broadcasting Corp. But the intent is to regain control or have a significant presence in that conflict area and then work...our way through our procedures in dealing with this type of incident. Kakas initially said 53 combatants had died. But secur

Decoded: Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code Bill covers live-in relationships

Legal framework encompassing marriage, divorce, property, inheritance laws does not apply to tribal communities