-ANI About 75 tribal groups have been identified and categorized as particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) by the government. To cater to their overall wellbeing and development, the Ministry of tribal Affairs has further revised the Development of Particularly Vulnerable tribal Groups (PVTGs) Scheme to provide 100 percent financial assistance through state governments. The scheme focuses on activities such as housing, land distribution, land and agricultural development, animal husbandry, the construction of link...

-Business Standard The statement of the tribal affairs ministry is contrary to its position stated repeatedly over the past year Whether consent from tribal village councils is essential before using forests could hinge on a case being heard by the National Green Tribunal on the Thoubal multipurpose dam project, which has been under construction since 1989 in Manipur. The tribal affairs ministry has told the court it does not have the power or...

-The Times of India RAIPUR: Farmers in Kanker region in tribal Bastar are being trained by the government to cultivate itch-free varieties of yam which could be grown on barren portions on land providing them a source income. State agriculture department has tested soil in the area and found it suitable for cultivating yam. Local farmers are provided itch-free variety and being sent groups of 10 to Bilaspur to learn method of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: "Touching a Dalit or tribal woman in a sexual manner without consent" or "acts/gestures of sexual nature" against them would invite the stringent provisions of the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act (POA). The Centre has decided to amend the POA along the lines of UPA's ordinance, with the objective of strengthening the special law by including more crimes under the head of "atrocities". In an important addition,...

-Business Standard The Subramanian report had been panned by environmentalists and tribal rights groups for seeking dilution of existing safeguards in the name of reforms The report of the Subramanian committee to revise environment laws should be scrapped and the issue looked at afresh, Parliament’s standing committee on the sector has recommended. The committee, headed by Ashwani Kumar, a Rajya Sabha member from the Congress party and an ex-Union minister, gave its...