Union govt ready to launch flagship scheme for Scheduled castes, tribes

The Union government is ready to launch a new flagship mission to strengthen schemes aimed at empowering the socially and economically backward Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, a reported The Economic Times (ET) said. 

The scheme will help to improve skills and increase livelihood opportunities by ensuring better access to quality education, the report added.

The mission has been named PM Social Inclusion Mission for the Welfare of SCs and STs (PMSIM). The scheme has a total budget of Rs 2.5 trillion which will be put to use to directly fund schemes that benefit individuals belonging to marginalised communities. The scheme has been designed for villages with more than 50 per cent SC and ST populations.

The latest mission replaces two major programmes. As things stand, the two programmes are run by 41 central ministries and departments.

Analyses done by the NITI Aayog have found that ministries have been unable to find targeted schemes to utilise the allocated amounts and this sometimes resulted in "notional allocation." This means that the money earmarked for the use of SCs and STs was being used for the general population.

The new mission is expected to bring about a major change in the manner in which the amount meant for SC and ST welfare is allocated and utilised. The new rules ensure that the funds not used in a given year will not lapse but instead, be transferred to a separate fund which can then be put to use by the ministries of tribal affairs and social justice.

To oversee the administrative mechanism of the scheme, an additional secretary-level officer with a dedicated support staff will be appointed. The team will monitor the physical and financial progress of the scheme regularly and report the developments to the NITI Aayog.