Inclusive Development of Marginalised Communities in India

Over the past decade, India has increasingly adopted the principle of Antyodaya – uplifting the last person in society. The focus has shifted from fragmented welfare delivery to inclusive development through saturation-based coverage, last-mile service delivery, and targeted interventions for historically marginalised communities.

Inclusive Development and its Significance

Inclusive development ensures that the benefits of growth are shared equitably across all sections of society and helps reduce socio-economic disparities.

• It promotes social justice by addressing historical inequalities and barriers faced by vulnerable communities.
• It strengthens human capital through improved access to education, healthcare, nutrition, and skill development.
• It enhances economic productivity by enabling marginalised populations to participate in the workforce and entrepreneurship.
• It reduces regional and social disparities, thereby promoting social cohesion and national integration.
• It contributes to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by ensuring that development reaches every citizen.

Inclusive Development Constitutional Provisions

India’s commitment to the welfare of disadvantaged groups is rooted in the Constitution.

• Directive Principles of State Policy emphasise social welfare, equitable distribution of resources, and protection of vulnerable groups.
• Article 46 directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and weaker sections.
• Articles 15(4) and 16(4) enable affirmative action for socially and educationally backward communities.
• Fifth and Sixth Schedules provide special governance arrangements for tribal areas.

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Empowerment of Tribal Population 

India’s tribal population has historically faced challenges arising from geographical remoteness, poor infrastructure, limited educational opportunities, and restricted access to healthcare and markets.

Recognising these challenges, tribal development has emerged as a major focus area of public policy.

PM JANMAN

The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) was launched in 2023 to improve the socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).

• The programme focuses on providing housing, roads, electricity, drinking water, healthcare, education, and livelihood support to PVTG communities residing in remote areas.
• It adopts a multi-ministerial convergence model to ensure comprehensive development rather than fragmented welfare delivery.
• It seeks to bridge long-standing developmental gaps in some of India’s most isolated tribal settlements.

PM-JUGA

The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA) aims to accelerate development in tribal-majority villages through coordinated interventions.

• It promotes convergence among multiple ministries to simultaneously address deficiencies in infrastructure, education, healthcare, livelihoods, and social services.
• It seeks to ensure that tribal development becomes outcome-oriented rather than scheme-centric.

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

• Van Dhan Kendras help tribal communities move up the value chain by promoting processing, packaging, branding, and marketing of minor forest produce.
• They encourage entrepreneurship and increase incomes by reducing dependence on middlemen.
• Traditional knowledge relating to medicinal plants and forest resources is being converted into sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• As of April 2026, 491 such centres had become operational against a target of 500. 
• More than 38,000 members of PVTG communities have undergone entrepreneurship development training, creating new avenues for income generation based on forest resources.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) 

The expansion of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) has significantly improved educational access for tribal students.

• These schools provide quality residential education with modern facilities such as laboratories, libraries, sports infrastructure, and digital learning tools.
• They reduce educational disadvantages arising from geographical isolation and poor local schooling facilities.
• Increasing numbers of tribal students are qualifying for competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET, indicating improved educational outcomes.

Preservation of Tribal Culture

Development efforts increasingly recognise the importance of protecting tribal identity and heritage. For example: 

• Women from the Kamar PVTG community in Chhattisgarh have transformed traditional medicinal knowledge into sustainable livelihoods through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. Earlier dependent on selling raw forest produce at low prices, they now produce value-added AYUSH-certified herbal products. Products are marketed under the “Chhattisgarh Herbals” brand, enhancing income and market reach.
• The initiative has generated sales exceeding ₹1.59 crore, illustrating how traditional knowledge can be integrated into modern economic opportunities.

Empowerment of Scheduled Castes

Despite constitutional safeguards, Scheduled Castes have historically faced social exclusion, educational disadvantages, and economic deprivation. Recent initiatives focus on improving educational attainment, livelihood opportunities, and social mobility.

PM-AJAY

The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) promotes integrated development of Scheduled Caste-majority villages.

• It focuses on improving infrastructure, livelihood opportunities, and access to essential services.
• It seeks to reduce regional disparities and improve quality of life in SC-dominated settlements.

Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC)

• DAPSC ensures dedicated budgetary allocations for Scheduled Caste welfare across ministries.
• It promotes targeted spending on education, housing, healthcare, livelihoods, and skill development.
• It improves accountability and monitoring of welfare expenditure.

Educational Empowerment

Education remains one of the most effective instruments of social transformation.

• Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS): Provides scholarships, fellowships, free coaching, and support for higher education and overseas studies to SC students, helping them access premier institutions and improve career opportunities.
• Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA):  Provides quality residential education in reputed private schools to meritorious SC students from disadvantaged backgrounds, reducing educational inequalities and promoting social mobility.

Improving Educational Outcomes : Recent years have also seen measurable improvements in educational indicators among Scheduled Castes.

• Scheduled Caste enrolment in higher education reached 66.23 lakh in 2021-22, representing a 44 percent increase since 2014-15.
  • Female enrolment rose by 51 percent during the same period, while the Gross Enrolment Ratio for SC students increased from 18.9 percent to 25.9 percent.

Empowerment of OBCs, DNTs and Nomadic Communities

Development efforts have also increasingly targeted Other Backward Classes, Economically Backward Classes, and Denotified and Nomadic Tribes.

PM-YASASVI

• Launched in 2021-22, PM-YASASVI provides scholarships and hostel facilities for students from OBC, EBC and DNT communities.
• The scheme covers education from school level through higher education, with all benefits transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

PM-DAKSH

• The PM-DAKSH programme has trained more than 2.08 lakh beneficiaries since its launch in 2020-21.
• The scheme offers free certified skill training linked to employment and self-employment opportunities for SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs and sanitation workers.

SEED Scheme

• The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) addresses longstanding challenges faced by denotified and nomadic tribes through coaching support, health insurance, livelihood assistance and housing aid.
• In 2025-26 alone, thousands of beneficiaries received educational support, livelihood funding and Ayushman Bharat health cards.

Minority Welfare and Skill Development

The Government has sought to integrate various minority welfare initiatives under a unified framework.

PM VIKAS

• Focuses on skill development, entrepreneurship, leadership training, and economic empowerment of minority communities.
• Supports employability in both traditional occupations and modern sectors such as healthcare, aviation, and digital technologies.
• Promotes income generation and economic participation among disadvantaged minority groups.

Dignity and Welfare of Sanitation Workers

Sanitation workers often face occupational hazards, social stigma, and unsafe working conditions.

NAMASTE Scheme

The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) seeks to eliminate hazardous manual cleaning practices.

• It promotes mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations.
• It provides skill training, livelihood support, safety equipment, and social security benefits.
• It aims to restore dignity and occupational safety for sanitation workers.
• The inclusion of waste pickers has expanded the programme’s social impact.

Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programme

• The Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in 2018, represents another major pillar of inclusive governance.
• Covering 112 underdeveloped districts, the initiative focuses on health, education, nutrition, agriculture and financial inclusion through data-driven monitoring and competition.
• The programme was expanded in 2023 through the Aspirational Blocks Programme, which now covers 500 blocks across 329 districts.

Achievements of Inclusive Development Efforts

The recent emphasis on last-mile delivery has produced measurable outcomes.

• Expansion of educational opportunities has enabled greater participation of marginalised communities in higher education and professional careers.
• Tribal and Scheduled Caste students are increasingly entering premier institutions such as IITs, AIIMS, NITs, and IIMs.
• Livelihood initiatives have promoted entrepreneurship and income generation among vulnerable groups.
• Infrastructure expansion has improved access to roads, electricity, healthcare, housing, and drinking water in remote regions.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanisms have enhanced transparency and reduced leakages.
• Digital governance has improved accessibility and efficiency in welfare delivery.

While challenges such as poverty, social discrimination, regional disparities, and unequal access to opportunities persist, the policy emphasis on Antyodaya, social justice, and last-mile delivery has strengthened the foundations of inclusive growth.

Wayforward 

Going forward, sustained investments in human capital, stronger institutional support, greater community participation, and effective implementation of welfare programmes will be crucial for ensuring that no section of society is left behind in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.