The Ministry of Tribal Affairs was constituted in October 1999 with the objective of providing more focused attention on the integrated socio-economic development of the most under-privileged sections of the Indian society namely, the Scheduled Tribes (STs), in a coordinated and planned manner. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for development of STs. To this end, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs undertakes activities that flow from the subjects allocated under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. These include:
1) Social security and social insurance to the Scheduled Tribes.
2) Tribal Welfare: Tribal welfare planning, project formulation, research, evaluation, statistics and training.
3) Promotion and development of voluntary efforts on tribal welfare
4) Scheduled Tribes, including scholarship to students belonging to such tribes
5) Development of Scheduled Tribes 5(a) All matters including legislation relating to the rights of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes on forest lands
6 (a) Scheduled Areas;
(b) Matter relating to autonomous districts of Assam excluding roads and bridge works and ferries thereon; and,
(c) Regulations framed by the Governors of States for Scheduled Areas and for Tribal Areas specified in Part 'A' of the Table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.
7(a) Commission to report on the administration of Scheduled Areas and the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes; and
(b) Issue of directions regarding the drawing up and execution of schemes essential for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes in any State.
9 Implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (22 of 1955) and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (33 of 1989), excluding administration of criminal justice in regard to offences in so far as they relate to Scheduled Tribes.
Schemes and Programmes
