National Tribal Policy

A draft National Tribal Policy was formulated in 2006. It covers all important issues that concern tribals. Its objectives are as follows:

1. Preservation of traditional and customary systems and regime of rights and concessions enjoyed by different ST communities.
2. Preventing alienation of land owned by STs and restoring possession of wrongfully alienated lands.
3. Protection and vesting of rights of STs on forest lands and other forest rights.
4. Providing a legislative frame for rehabilitation and resettlement in order to minimise displacement.
5. Empowerment of tribal communities to promote self-governance and self-rule.
6. Protection of political rights to ensure greater and active participation of tribals in political bodies at all levels.
7. Reducing and removing the gap in the HDI of the tribal population and the general population.
8. Ensuring access to health care services, safe drinking water and improved sanitation.
9. Increase the participation of STs in sports and culture at local, district state and National levels.
10. Promotion and development of tribal handicrafts and organic and ethnic products.
11. Arresting the increasing demand from new communities for inclusion in the list of STs by rationalising the process of scheduling.
12. Focussing on the development of Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), which are to be renamed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
13. Development of nomadic and semi-nomadic Tribes through need based specific programmes.
14. Conservation and protection of the intellectual property regime of STs