Ministry of Tribal Affairs (India)

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, a branch of Government of India, looks after the affairs of the tribal communities in India. As of May 2008, the ministry is headed by Kantilal Bhuria, a Union Cabinet Minister. The Sonia Gandhi led NAC has currently pulled up the tribal affairs ministry, the nodal agency for forest rights law, to exercise its power under the Act and issue the instructions to all states, in the form of operational guidelines to plug the loopholes.

History

The ministry was set up in 1999 after the bifurcation of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (India) to have a more focused approach on the integrated socioeconomic development of the Scheduled Tribes (STs), the most underprivileged of the Indian Society. Before the formation of the ministry the tribal Affairs was being handled by different ministries which were:

1. As a Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs known as Tribal Division since after independence up to September 1985.
2. Ministry of Welfare: From September 1985 to May 1998.
3. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment from May 1998 to September 1999.

Functions of the Ministry

1. Tribal Welfare-Planning, Policy formulation, Research and Training
2. Tribal development including scholarships to STs
3. Promotion of voluntary efforts in development of STs
4. Administrative Ministry with respect to matters concerning Scheduled Areas

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the Nodal Ministry for overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes of development for Scheduled Tribes.

References

Ministry of Tribal Affairs