Budget 2025: Big Boost To Tribal Affairs Ministry, Budget Allocation Rises 46%

The Union Budget 2025 brought joy to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs with a nearly 46 percent increase in the budget outlay compared to the revised estimate (2024-25) to bridge infrastructural gaps in thousands of villages, improve access to health, education, Anganwadi facilities and providing livelihood opportunities.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the eighth consecutive budget, which is also the second full budget of Modi 3.0. In Union Budget 2025, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs received a budget outlay of Rs. 14,925.81 crore, an increase of 45.79 percent from the revised estimate (2024-25) of Rs 10,237.33 crore and a nearly 15 percent rise from the budget estimate (2024-25) of Rs. 13,000 crore.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) which function to provide quality middle and high-level education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) students in remote areas, will receive Rs. 7,088.60 crore, almost double from last year's revised estimate of Rs 4,748 crore.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission focused on bringing about transformational changes in tribal livelihood, ensuring round-the-year income generating opportunities, got Rs. 380.40 crore, more than double from last year's allocation of Rs. 152.32 crore.

The budget for "National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST students" dropped from Rs. 240 crore to Rs. 0.02 crore, almost nil.

Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna (PMAAGY) got Rs. 335.97 crore, a whopping 163 percent rise compared to Rs. 127.51 crore last year. Under PMAAGY, funds are provided to states and union territories to bridge the gaps in sectors like education, health, agriculture, skill development, employment-cum-income generation.

The budget for the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) has been doubled from Rs 150 crore to Rs 300 crore. This scheme focuses on improving the socio-economic conditions of particularly vulnerable tribal groups by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The budget allocation for Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) saw a four-fold increase from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore. The programme aims to saturate infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages, improve access to health, education, Anganwadi facilities and provide livelihood opportunities.

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