The Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ budget alone has tripled to Rs 13,000 crore, reflecting the government’s deepened commitment to inclusive growth.
The Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) now drives over 200 schemes across education, healthcare, livelihoods, skill development, and sanitation, ensuring that every arm of the government contributes to tribal progress.
“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, tribal development in India operated within a limited framework, a single ministry with a modest budget of Rs 4,498 crore. Over the past decade, this vision has expanded into a nationwide mission,” the government sources said on Friday.
“Today, 42 ministries actively contribute to tribal welfare through the DAPST, marking a fivefold increase in overall tribal-focused spending, from Rs 24,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2024–25,” the government sources said.
From 25 lakh Forest Rights Act titles to 1.11 lakh homes for tribal families under PMAY 2.0, this decade under PM Modi has transformed tribal welfare from a marginal agenda into a mainstream national priority.
To uplift De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, the Modi government launched the SEED Scheme under the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs in 2019.
Since then, over Rs 53 crore has been released, benefiting more than 53,000 people, including 46,000 through livelihood support, 551 through free coaching, and 7,000 with health insurance, marking a historic step toward empowering India’s most overlooked communities.
Recognising the importance of keeping tribal history alive, the Modi government established 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, marking the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, India’s tribal revolutionary.
Over time, this observance has expanded into Janjatiya Gaurav Week, celebrated across ministries and states with cultural programs, exhibitions, and educational activities that bring the legacy of tribal heroes to life.
For decades, India’s tribal heroes, whose courage shaped the nation’s struggle against colonial oppression, remained largely on the margins of history. Under PM Modi, this narrative has been transformed.
Through commemorative acts, memorials, publications, symbolic releases, and direct engagement with descendants, the stories of tribal freedom fighters are now celebrated as a cornerstone of India’s national heritage.
Under PM Modi, tribal freedom fighters are no longer footnotes, they are central figures in India’s national narrative.
The legacy of Birsa Munda, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, Govind Guru, Sidhu- Kanhu, Rani Gaidinliu, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and countless other tribal heroes is now preserved, celebrated, and made accessible for generations to come, ensuring that India remembers not only the leaders but the people behind the struggle, the families, the communities, and the spirit of resistance that shaped the country’s freedom.