What is the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission?

About Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission:

• The mission will be launched as part of ‘Reaching The Last Mile’, one of the seven Saptarishi priorities enlisted in this year’s Budget.
• The mission will saturate the particularly vulnerable tribal groups with safe housing, clean drinking water, education, nutrition, road and telecom connection and livelihood. 
• A Budget of Rs 15,000 crore will be dedicated to this mission in the next three years.
• The scheme will benefit 3.5 lakh tribals.

 

Saptarishi priorities (seven priorities) enlisted in the 2023-24 budget:

• Inclusive Development
• Reaching the Last Mile
• Infrastructure and Investment
• Unleashing the Potential
• Green Growth
• Youth Power
• Financial Sector

 

Who are PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups)?

• PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups who are in need of greater support and development.
• Out of the 705 Scheduled Tribes in India, 75 have been identified as PVTGs and are spread across 17 states and one Union Territory.
• Government of India follows the following criteria for identification of PVTGs

• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population.

• In 1975, the Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs and declared 52 such groups.
• An additional 23 groups were added to the category in 1993.
• Some Examples: Cholanaikayan (Kerala), Kathodi (Gujarat), Jarawas (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), Koraga (Karnataka)

 

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Q1) Which state has highest number of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups?

Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12), Bihar including Jharkhand (9) Madhya Pradesh including Chhattisgarh (7) Tamil Nadu (6) Kerala and Gujarat having five groups each

Source: 

Budget 2023-24: New mission for welfare of PVTGs launched