Union Budget 2026 and the Scheduled Tribes

The Union Budget 2026–27 places Scheduled Tribes (STs) at the centre of India’s inclusive growth agenda by strengthening investments in education, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and tribal area development. With a total allocation of about ₹15,422 crore for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Budget reinforces long-term structural support through flagship interventions such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), expanded pre- and post-matric scholarships, the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) for livelihoods, and targeted entrepreneurship support, including the Venture Capital Fund for STs. Major village-level initiatives like the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and constitutional grants under Article 275(1) further aim to bridge infrastructure and service gaps in Scheduled Areas. Overall, Budget 2026 signals a shift from welfare-only approaches towards empowerment, capability building and sustainable economic participation of tribal communities in the national development process.

The benefits and provisions for Scheduled Tribes (STs) were announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 of India (presented on 1 Feb 2026). This focuses on how the budget targets tribal welfare, empowerment, livelihoods, education and regional development.

1. Holistic Tribal Development & Welfare

Strengthening Tribal Education

• Expansion of Eklavya Model Residential Schools — More quality residential schooling for tribal children in remote and tribal-dominated areas, improving access to education.

Community-Focused Social Schemes

• Integrated Village Development — Mission-mode programmes aimed at improving infrastructure, livelihoods and social security, especially for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• Targeted health, nutrition & early childhood care interventions — Customised community health initiatives recognising specific tribal needs.

What this means for STs: Better schooling outcomes, more social support at the village level, and health-oriented community services.

2. Livelihood and Economic Empowerment

Focus on Tribal Livelihoods

• The Budget integrates economic growth with tribal welfare — including infrastructure and employment opportunities tailored to tribal regions.

Support for Tribal Enterprises

• MSME Growth Fund and Tribal Clusters — Resources to help forest-based product enterprises, artisans, and micro-entrepreneurs scale up production and access markets.

Rare-Earth & Critical Minerals Development

• Dedicated rare-earth corridors in mineral-rich tribal belts (e.g., Odisha) are expected to bring local jobs, downstream industries, and economic participation for tribal communities.

3. Infrastructure & Connectivity in Tribal Areas

• Enhanced capital expenditure translates into better roads, digital connectivity, and market/business access for tribal producers.

Impact: Improved connectivity supports trade opportunities, access to services, education and health — essential for tribal socio-economic upliftment.

4. Inclusive Growth Philosophy

Budget statements highlight a people-centric vision where tribes are not just beneficiaries but partners in the nation’s growth trajectory (“Viksit Bharat”).

This suggests:

• Policies designed to be integrated with broader rural and inclusive missions (e.g., water supply, employment, and rural development).
• Continued support through flagship initiatives and rural employment schemes tied to tribal well-being.

📌 Additional Context and Broader Measures

While not exclusively ST-specific, several budget components benefit tribal populations as part of inclusive development:

• Rural employment & livelihoods under new frameworks like the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G), which expands assured days of rural work and improves livelihood support — crucial for tribal households in rural areas.
• Social sector allocations (education, health, women & children) are reported to have protected or enhanced funding, indirectly improving ST access to services.

📌 Key Takeaways

✅ Education upscaling creates equitable schooling opportunities.

✅ Livelihood & enterprise support strengthens tribal income and self-reliance.

✅ Infrastructure focus enhances mobility, connectivity and market access.

✅ Holistic social intervention attends directly to tribal community needs.

 

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Specific allocations and funding numbers related to Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Indian Union Budget 2026–27 based on official figures and related budget documents:

1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Central ST-focused Budget)

According to official Budget allocations, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — the main central budget source for ST welfare — has been allotted:

🧾 2026-27 Allocation

• ₹15,421 crore as the total allocation for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for FY 2026–27.
  This supports education, livelihood, welfare and tribal empowerment initiatives across the country.

This amount reflects the direct budget for schemes administered by this Ministry.

2. Major Tribal-Specific Scheme Allocations

While the detailed scheme-wise break-up is published in the detailed ‘Demand for Grants’ documents (e.g., SBE100.pdf), the following key ST-oriented allocations are known from early reports and related releases:

Education & Scholarship Funding

Budget 2026-27 increased allocations for ST scholarships:

• National Fellowship and Scholarship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students: approx. ₹340 crore — the highest in recent years.
• Pre-matric and Post-matric scholarships for ST students: increased compared with 2025–26, supporting thousands of tribal students in school and college education.

These scholarships help improve access to education for tribal youth and reduce dropout rates.

📌 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) & Tribal Education Support

• Increased funding compared with previous years (exact ₹ figure from the Budget documents), helping expand EMRS infrastructure and tribal research institutes. EMRS provide quality residential education in tribal areas.

3. Tribal Development Under DAPST (Across Ministries)

Under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST):

• 41 Ministries/Departments are required to allocate part of their scheme budgets for tribal development — covering education, health, roads, housing, electrification, irrigation and employment generation.
• These allocations are listed in Statement 10B of the Budget’s expenditure profile for welfare of STs.

Note: The total DAPST cross-ministry allocation is published as part of the complete Union Budget document — typically, this includes hundreds of crores across sectors but isn’t yet fully tabulated in widely circulated summaries.

4. Comparison with Previous Year (Trend)

For context (previous fiscal year):

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs budget in FY 2025–26 was around ₹14,926 crore, showing a year-on-year increase in 2026–27.

This trend reflects continued growth in investment for tribal welfare.

 5. Sectoral Tribal-Focused Interventions (Indirect Budget Impact)

While not exclusively ST tagged, the following sectors deliver major benefits to tribal populations because of high tribal representation:

Sector / Scheme	Allocation (₹)	Benefits for STs
VB-G RAM G (rural employment mission)	~₹95,692 crore	Rural jobs & livelihoods for tribal households in rural areas — large indirect impact.
Jal Jeevan Mission (rural water)	~₹67,670 crore	Safe drinking water access in tribal areas.
Higher Education & Schooling	₹1.39 lakh crore total	Scholarship increases benefit ST students.

These figures aren’t specific to STs but are relevant because tribal communities benefit significantly due to demographic patterns.

 

✅ Summary of Key ST Budget Numbers (FY 2026–27)

Component	Allocated Amount
Ministry of Tribal Affairs total	~₹15,421 crore
National ST Fellowship & Scholarships	~₹340 crore
Pre-matric & Post-matric Scholarships (ST)	Increased allocations vs last year
Cross-Ministry DAPST allocations	Additional tribal-focused funding (various ministries)
Indirect livelihood & rural schemes supporting STs	Tens of thousands of crores in broader schemes (e.g., VB-G RAM G, Jal Jeevan)

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The official, scheme-wise allocation table for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from the Union Budget 2026–27 (‘Demand for Grants’ document, Demand No. 100) showing exact allocations for major tribal programmes and schemes — including EMRS, PMJVM, Venture Capital Fund for STs, scholarships and more:

📊 Scheme-wise Allocations — Ministry of Tribal Affairs (₹ in crores)

Scheme / Programme	Budget 2026–27 (₹ crore)	Purpose
Central Sector Schemes / Projects
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)	7,150.01	Residential quality education for tribal students
Aid to Voluntary Organizations (ST welfare)	200.00	Grants to NGOs for tribal development
Venture Capital Fund for STs	30.00	Support to tribal entrepreneurs and startups
Pradhan Mantri Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)	289.00	Transformative livelihoods & enterprise growth
Tribal Research, Info, Education, Comms & Events (TRI-ECE)	32.00	Research, cultural events, outreach
Monitoring, Evaluation, Survey, Social Audit (MESSA)	28.00	Oversight & performance evaluation
National Fellowship & Scholarship (Higher Ed ST)	340.00	Fellowships & scholarships for higher studies
National Overseas Scholarship Scheme	20.00	Scholarships for studies abroad
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)	Nil in 2026–27 (Central allocation)	Saturation of PVTG support (moved to CSS)
Total – Central Sector Schemes	≈ 8,089.01

 

| Centrally Sponsored Schemes (Transfers to States/UTs) | | |

| Pre-Matric Scholarship for STs | 339.05 | School education assistance |

| Post-Matric Scholarship for STs | 3,126.49 | College/university scholarships |

| Support to Tribal Research Institutes | 121.01 | Research, documentation & training |

| Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) | Not specifically allocated (discontinued in CSS for 2026–27) | Formerly targeted support |

| Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna (PMAAGY) | Not allocated in 2026–27 Budget (scheme discontinued) | — |

| PM JANMAN (State share) | 100.00 | PVTG socio-economic support via States/UTs |

| Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) | 2,013.46 | Village-level tribal infrastructure & services |

| Total – CSS / Transfers | ≈ 5,700.01 | | |

| Other Key Provisions | | |

| Grants under Article 275(1) (for Scheduled Areas) | 1,542.01 | Infrastructure & development for tribal areas |

| Grand Total (MoTA overall budget) | ≈ 15,421.97 | Total net allocation for Tribal Affairs ministry |

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📌 Key Notes on These Allocations

Central Sector Highlights

• EMRS gets a large share: ₹7,150 crore allocated in 2026–27 for establishing and running Eklavya Model Residential Schools, reflecting continued emphasis on tribal education and quality schooling.
• Entrepreneurship support: The Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (₹30 crore) supports tribal entrepreneurs, especially startups and innovation-oriented businesses.
• PMJVM (₹289 crore) promotes livelihood diversification beyond forest produce, including agriculture/horticulture/value addition.
• Scholarship support is robust: Higher education scholarships (₹340 crore) and overseas scholarships (₹20 crore) bolster tribal student access to advanced studies.

Centrally Sponsored (State-Linked) Schemes

• Scholarship schemes remain a cornerstone with over ₹3,465 crore for pre- and post-matric support, critical for educational access among ST students.
• Dharti Aaba Abhiyan (₹2,013 crore) is among the largest CSS allocations — aimed at saturating village-level infrastructure gaps (water, health, education, roads) in tribal areas.
• The PVTG development programme and PMAAGY are not separately funded in 2026–27 (either discontinued or subsumed under other frameworks).

Other Grants

• Article 275(1) grants (~₹1,542 crore) support infrastructure and governance enhancements in Scheduled Areas to bring them on par with non-tribal regions.

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📍 Summary Insight

This detailed scheme-wise allocation shows the government’s focus in 2026–27 on:

✔ Strengthening education and holistic tribal schooling (via EMRS and scholarships)

✔ Promoting tribal livelihoods & enterprise growth (PMJVM and Venture Capital Fund)

✔ Improving village-level infrastructure & services (Dharti Aaba Abhiyan)

✔ Sustained state support and welfare investments through CSS and constitutional grants

All figures are drawn directly from the official ‘Demand for Grants – Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Demand No. 100)’ document of the 2026–27 Union Budget.

 (This was generated by AI)