Tribals and their Issues in UP

As India marks 150 years since the birth of Birsa Munda, attention has returned to tribal history and present-day tribal challenges. Reflecting this focus on inclusion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asserted that every eligible citizen, including tribal communities, will be covered under welfare schemes, reinforcing the commitment to last-mile social justice.

Tribals in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has a relatively small but socio-culturally significant tribal population of about 11.34 lakh persons, constituting roughly 0.5% of the state’s population (Census 2011). Tribal communities are mainly concentrated in the Terai belt and parts of eastern and southern UP, particularly in districts such as Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Sonbhadra and Mirzapur. The Tharu tribe alone accounts for nearly 77.4% of the Scheduled Tribe population in the state, making it the most dominant tribal group in UP.

Key Issues Faced by Tribals in Uttar Pradesh

Despite constitutional safeguards under Articles 15, 46, 244 and the Fifth Schedule, tribal communities in UP continue to face multiple socio-economic and administrative challenges.

• Educational Backwardness: Tribal literacy in UP remains below the state average, with particularly low female literacy. Poor school infrastructure in remote areas, language barriers, seasonal migration and early dropouts limit educational outcomes.
• Economic Vulnerability & Livelihood Insecurity: Most tribal households depend on subsistence agriculture, forest produce and daily wage labour. Limited skill diversification and weak market linkages keep incomes low and irregular.
• Land Alienation & Forest Rights Issues: Although the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 exists, its implementation in UP has been slow and uneven, leading to disputes over land titles, forest access and displacement from traditional habitats.
• Health & Nutrition Deficits: Tribal-dominated blocks show poor health indicators, including malnutrition, anaemia among women, high infant mortality and limited access to Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
• Exclusion from Welfare Delivery: Lack of documents (caste certificates, land records, Aadhaar linkage) and weak last-mile governance result in under-utilisation of welfare schemes, especially among denotified and nomadic tribes.

Government Schemes & Initiatives for Tribals in UP

• Education & Human Capital
  • Pre‑Matric and Post‑Matric Scholarships for ST Students
    Implemented through the UP Tribal Welfare Department; benefits over 1.5 lakh tribal students annually.
  • Eklavya Model Residential Schools
    Residential schooling facilities for tribal children; UP has expanded EMRS coverage in tribal-dominated districts.
  • Hostels & Ashram Schools for ST boys and girls to reduce dropouts.
• Livelihood & Economic Empowerment
  • Van Dhan Vikas Kendras
    Promotes value addition to minor forest produce and tribal entrepreneurship.
  • Self-Help Group (SHG) promotion among Tharu and Gond communities, focusing on handicrafts, dairy and agri-based livelihoods.
  • Skill training convergence with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana.
• Health & Nutrition
  • Tribal households covered under Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • Targeted nutrition support via Poshan Abhiyaan in tribal blocks.
• Governance & Inclusion
  • Saturation drive to ensure 100% coverage of eligible tribal families under pensions, housing, ration cards and scholarships.
  • Special initiatives for denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes to integrate them into mainstream welfare delivery.
  • Digitalisation of beneficiary databases by the UP Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe Welfare Department.

Way Forward

• Effective Implementation of FRA: Fast-track recognition of individual and community forest rights with simplified procedures and district-level monitoring.
• Education with Cultural Sensitivity: Expand residential schools, bilingual education and digital learning tools in tribal belts to reduce dropouts.
• Livelihood Diversification: Promote agro-forestry, eco-tourism, forest-based enterprises and SHG-led micro-industries tailored to local tribal skills.
• Healthcare Outreach: Strengthen mobile medical units, tribal health workers and nutrition surveillance in remote habitations.
• Administrative Inclusion: Universalise caste certification, Aadhaar seeding and family ID coverage to eliminate welfare exclusion.
• Community-Led Planning: Involve Gram Sabhas and tribal leaders in designing and monitoring development programmes to ensure local ownership.
• Focused District Strategy: Adopt district-specific tribal development plans for Terai and Sonbhadra-Mirzapur regions, rather than a uniform state approach.

Conclusion

While tribal communities form a small demographic segment in Uttar Pradesh, their development is crucial for inclusive growth, social justice and sustainable governance. Recent state initiatives show a shift towards targeted welfare delivery, but long-term success depends on rights-based implementation, livelihood security, human capital investment and participatory governance. A focused and empathetic policy approach can ensure that tribals in UP move from the margins to the mainstream of development.