Launching the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign for the PM-Janman package for the Specially Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) from December 25, the Central Government has set a one-week target to achieve Aadhaar, caste certificate and Jan Dhan account saturation across 15,000 PVTG habitations in 100 districts.
In an official plenary session, it was revealed that in order to proceed with any aspect of the PM-JANMAN package, it is essential to sign up for benefits under the Jan Dhan account package.
Also it should be ensured that documents like Aadhaar, caste certificate are provided to all the intended PVTG beneficiaries.
Coverage Area of the IEC campaign
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs said on December 25 that the campaign will cover 100 districts in 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands; habitats in other regions of the country will be covered in the next phase.
In the absence of any current data on the PVTG population, the government has estimated that there are over 22,000 habitations and villages across the state and union territory, home to around 28 lakh people, all of whom are targeted to be covered under the PM-JANMAN package.
About PM- JANMAN
PM Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANAMAN) on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (November 15, 2023) from Jharkhand’s Khunti district.
The main objective of the project is to provide essential amenities such as road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, and improved access to education, health, nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Aims and Objectives of IEC campaign
The IEC campaign aims to provide housing to PVTG families with individual rights and basic amenities by making these tribal communities aware of their rights.
During the IEC campaign, Aadhaar Card, Community Certificate, and Jan Dhan Accounts will be provided, as these are the basic requirements for other schemes like Ayushman Card, Pradhan Mantri Kishan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Card, etc.
This initiative will ensure coverage of every PVTG household unreached by distance, lack of roads, and digital connectivity and provide convenience at their doorstep. Places like Hat Bazar, CSC, Gram Panchayat, Anganwadi, Multipurpose Centre, Bandhan Vikas Kendra, and Krishi Vigyan Kendra will be used to organize these events.
Budget allocation for PM- JANMAN
The package brings together 11 schemes (such as brick houses, household energy augmentation, road and telecom connectivity, etc.) already implemented by 9 core line ministries and focuses them on saturation in these PVTG villages and settlements.
These 11 schemes are yet to reach many of PVTGs areas. Therefore, the IEC campaign has been started to reach these government initiatives to the Particularly Tribal Groups.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the package on November 15.
The Union Cabinet has approved the mission, which focuses on 11 critical interventions related to with a budget outlay of Rs. 24,104 crore (central share: Rs. 15,336 crore and state share: Rs. 8,768 crore) from FY 2023–24 to FY 2025–26 under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).
Who are those going to be benefitted?
Tribal communities are often characterized by certain characteristics such as primitiveness, distinct culture, geographical isolation, etc. Also, some tribal groups have certain characteristics such as dependence on hunting, food gathering, pre-agricultural level of technology and very low level of literacy. These groups are called Specially Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
Primitive Tribal Groups (PTG) were created by the Dhebar Commission as a separate category. In 2006, the Government of India renamed PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Spread across 18 states and union territories, India has 75 PVTGs, with the largest number in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. In India, the tribal population is 8.6% of the total population.
The Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Development Plan was implemented from 1st April, 2008. The scheme was created to prioritize their protection and development.
