**Executive Summary**
This document addresses Starred Question No. *261 regarding the upliftment of the Tharu Tribe in Uttar Pradesh, to be answered on December 18, 2025. It outlines the Government's commitment to tribal development through the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) and other initiatives. A statement detailing the actions and schemes is laid on the Table of the House.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA):**
* Launched on October 2, 2024, aiming for holistic and sustainable development of tribal populations through the convergence of schemes from 17 ministries with 25 interventions.
* Focuses on improving access to education, healthcare, and skills.
* Encompasses 63,843 villages across 549 districts in 26 States and 4 Union Territories, including 16 villages in Balrampur and 2 in Shravasti.
* **Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS):**
* EMRSs will be established in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, as per the 2011 Census.
* No EMRS has been sanctioned in Shravasti and Balrampur districts of Uttar Pradesh, as none of its blocks fulfil the prescribed twin criteria.
* **Scholarship Schemes:**
* The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements scholarship schemes to promote education among the ST population, including:
* Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class IX and X).
* Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class XI and above).
* National Fellowship for Higher Education for ST students.
* National Scholarship for Higher Education for ST Students (Top Class).
* National Overseas Scholarship for ST students.
* **DAJGUA Projects in Uttar Pradesh:**
* Approved projects in Shravasti and Balrampur Districts include:
* Construction of Teacher & staff quarters in residential school.
* Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal area School.
* **Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres (TMMCs):**
* Focuses on the economic and marketing aspects of tribal welfare.
* One TMMC has been sanctioned for Rs. 100 lakh in Uttar Pradesh under DAJGUA.
* **Forest Rights Act (FRA) Implementation:**
* Implementation involves participation of Gram Panchayats, Forest Rights Committees, and tribal organizations.
* The Ministry has approved Rs. 34.52 lakh for establishing FRA cells, including in Balrampur and Shravasti.
* **Welfare Works:**
* Welfare works undertaken include Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal area Schools, Teacher & staff quarters in residential school, FRA Cell, TMMC, SCD Awareness and counselling/ASHA Honorarium + TOT .
**Impact Analysis**
**Tharu Tribe in Uttar Pradesh**
* **Impact:** Improved access to education, healthcare, and skills development; potential for economic empowerment through TMMCs. Benefit from various initiatives related to forest rights.
* **Action Required:** Engage with Gram Panchayats, forest committees, and tribal organizations to participate in the implementation of schemes.
**Ministry of Tribal Affairs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and overseeing various schemes and initiatives aimed at tribal development.
* **Action Required:** Manage and monitor the progress of DAJGUA and other schemes; coordinate with other ministries and state governments.
**State Government of Uttar Pradesh**
* **Impact:** Responsible for facilitating the implementation of schemes at the state level and providing necessary support.
* **Action Required:** Coordinate with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and local stakeholders; ensure the effective implementation of FRA and other relevant acts.
**Local Gram Panchayats, Forest Committees, and Tribal Organizations**
* **Impact:** Actively involved in the implementation of schemes and identifying community needs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in Special Gram Sabhas; support mobilisation, facilitation, and follow-up to ensure community-led implementation.
Key Entities Referenced
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA): A mega multi-sectoral mission to improve the holistic and sustainable development of tribal populations through convergence of schemes.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs): Schools to provide quality education to tribal children, at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas, with special facilities for preserving local art and culture.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The central government ministry responsible for the development and welfare of tribal communities in India.
Tharu Tribe: A tribal community in Uttar Pradesh, India, which is the focus of development efforts described in the document.
Uttar Pradesh: The Indian state where the Tharu tribe is located, and the location of the development interventions discussed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO *261
TO BE ANSWERED ON-18/12/2025
UPLIFTMENT OF THARU TRIBE IN UTTAR PRADESH
*261 Shri Ram Shiromani Verma:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
a) whether the Government proposes to formulate any special scheme to strengthen tribal welfare, education,
health and livelihood in the Tharu tribe-dominated forest regions of Shravasti and Balrampur districts of Uttar
Pradesh and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether any approval has been granted for expansion of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), tribal
students' hostels or scholarship schemes in these districts and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether there is any provision to provide training, marketing and financial assistance for empowering/
strengthening Tharu tribal community-based handicrafts, Minor Forest Produce (MFP), Self-Help Groups
(SHGs) and livelihood groups and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether local Gram Panchayats, forest committees and tribal organisations are being given
participation/participating in the implementation of such schemes and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the details of welfare works conducted during the last three years, ongoing projects and upcoming proposed
schemes thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI JUAL ORAM)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.*261 for answer on
18.12.2025 regarding “Upliftment of Tharu Tribe in Uttar Pradesh”
(a): The Government is committed to development of tribal communities across the country including the
Tharu-dominated forest regions of Shravasti and Balrampur districts of Uttar Pradesh. The Hon' ble Prime
Minister has launched a special mega multi-sectoral mission named “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh
Abhiyan” (DAJGUA) on 2nd October,2024 .The program aims at the holistic and sustainable development of
tribal populations in tribal villages through the convergence of schemes of 17 ministries including Ministry of
Tribal Affairs’ (MoTA ) with 25 interventions. The mission aims to improve access to education, healthcare, and
skills for tribal community. The program encompasses a total of 63,843 villages in 549 districts and 2,911 blocks
across all tribal-dominated villages in 26 States and 4 Union Territories. This includes 16 and 2 villages
respectively in Balrampur & Shravasti districts of the State of Uttar Pradesh.
(b): In the Union Budget 2018–19, the Government of India announced that, to provide quality education to tribal
children in their own environment, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) would be established in every
block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, as per the 2011 Census. The EMRSs
are to be at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas with special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides
providing training in sports and skill development. National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an
autonomous organization, has been established to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS in co-ordination
with State EMRS Societies No EMRS has been sanctioned in Shravasti and Balrampur districts of Uttar Pradesh,
as none of its blocks fulfil the prescribed twin criteria.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the following scholarship schemes to promote and
encourage basic and higher education amongst the ST population in the country including Uttar Pradesh:
i) Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class IX and X)
ii) Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class XI and above)
iii) National Fellowship for Higher Education for ST students.
iv) National Scholarship for Higher Education for ST Students (Top Class)
v) National Overseas Scholarship for ST students.
Under the “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan” (DAJGUA), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved
following projects in Shravasti and Balrampur Districts in Uttarpradesh.
S. Fund Approved
Intervention District Unit
No. (in Lakh)
1 Teacher & staff quarters in residential school Shravasti 1 175
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
3 60
2 area School Balrampur
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
1 20
3 area School Shravasti
(c): Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres (TMMCs) are one of the 25 key interventions under the DAJGUA
. TMMCs focus specifically on the economic and marketing aspects of tribal welfare and ensure that the unique
products of tribal communities can thrive in the market. TMMCs helps complement skill development and
entrepreneurship efforts. The Ministry has sanctioned one TMMC for an amount of Rs. 100 lakh in Uttar Pradesh
under DAJGUA.Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), operates Van Dhan
Vikas Kendra (VDVK) across 29 States / UTs which aims to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship initiatives and
facilitate livelihood opportunities.The tribal beneficiaries under the VDVKs are trained in trainings related to
value addition, entrepreneurship awareness and development which help them to further improve their products
as per the prevalent market standards. TRIFED empanel tribal artisans/ suppliers, which comprise of individual
tribal artisans, tribal SHG groups, reputed NGOs, Govt. agencies etc. working with tribal artisans.
A total number of 5927 suppliers/producers are empanelled with TRIFED as on 31.03.2025, which are
associated with 3, 05,485 families. TRIFED has empanelled 132 THARU TRIBES Artisans, which are associated
with 2716 families across the country. It includes 01 empanelled THARU TRIBE Artisan in Balrampur District,
Uttar Pradesh, who is associated with 10 families.
(d): The implementation of schemes involves participation of Gram Panchayats, Forest Rights Committees,
Joint Forest Management Committees and tribal organizations in accordance with the provisions of relevant Acts
and scheme guidelines including the Forest Rights Act, 2006. In order to accelerate benefit of various schemes
to the forest right holders in full measure, Ministry under DAJGUA has inter alia taken several initiatives like
Mapping of Potential Area under FRA, digitization of legacy data and claim process, support to Gram Sabha for
preparation and execution of Community Forest Resource Rights(CFR) Management plans and setting up
dedicated FRA Cells at the State and district/subdivision levels for a period of two years to facilitate the
supplement claim process under FRA. The Ministry also supports FRA patta holders through convergence with
several schemes of Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, where the respective scheme
guidelines have been modified to limit the beneficiary to only 10% wherever needed. For the State Government
of Uttar Pradesh, MoTA has approved an amount of 34.52 lakh for establishment of FRA cells including the
districts of Balrampur and Sharavasti.
Under the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan in Uttar Pradesh, Gram Panchayats, forest committees and tribal
organizations are actively involved through Special Gram Sabhas, where community needs are identified and
adopted as Gram Sabha resolutions. Tribal organizations, SHGs and trained Adi Saathis and Sahiyogis support
mobilisation, facilitation and follow-up, ensuring community-led implementation.
(e): The welfare works undertaken in the State of Uttar Pradesh under DAJGUA since its inception in
October,2024 by the Ministry on the basis of proposals received from the State inter alia include Construction
of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal area Schools, Teacher & staff quarters in residential school, FRA Cell,
TMMC, SCD Awareness and counselling/ASHA Honorarium + TOT .
The details of physical progress of various interventions under DAJGUA are given in Annexure 1.Annexure 1
Annexure I referred to in reply to part (e) of the Starred Question No.261 for answer on 18.12.2025
(a) District-wise status of DAJGUA interventions under Ministry of Tribal Affairs in Uttar Pradesh
S. Fund
No. State Intervention District Unit Approved
1 U P Teacher & staff quarters in residential school Shravasti 1 175
2 U P Teacher & staff quarters in residential school Bahraich 1 175
3 U P Teacher & staff quarters in residential school Bijnaur 1 175
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal Lakhimpur
4 U P area School Kheri 4 80
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
5 U P area School Balrampur 3 60
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
6 U P area School Bahraich 1 20
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
7 U P area School Shravasti 1 20
Construction of Toilet complex in Ashram/Tribal
8 U P area School Maharajganj 2 40
9 U P TMMC Varanasi 1 100
(b) : State-wise progress from line-Ministries under DAJGUA
1. Ministry of Rural Development- PMAY (G)
Name of the state Sanctioned Completion
ANDHRA PRADESH 1 1376
ARUNACHAL PRADESH 0 780
ASSAM 54590 67245
BIHAR 17 215
CHHATTISGARH 306967 161927
DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI 0 1191
DAMAN AND DIU 0 8
GOA 0 0
GUJARAT 73341 61756
HIMACHAL PRADESH 2345 975
JAMMU AND KASHMIR 21 18468
JHARKHAND 55126 4120
KARNATAKA 11485 1969
KERALA 670 117
LADAKH 0 0
LAKSHADWEEP 0 0
MADHYA PRADESH 283512 101688
MAHARASHTRA 335850 59073
MANIPUR 152 4158
MEGHALAYA 0 39115
MIZORAM 0 6697
NAGALAND 0 16430
ODISHA 17563 84304Name of the state Sanctioned Completion
RAJASTHAN 129214 29358
SIKKIM 0 8
TAMIL NADU 110 453
TRIPURA 0 10411
UTTAR PRADESH 0 65
UTTARAKHAND 0 23
WEST BENGAL 0 297
Grand Total 1270964 672227
2. Ministry of Jal Shakti
States Total DAJGUA Villages
Sanctioned Saturated
Arunachal Pradesh 321 321 321
Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu 76 76 76
Goa 25 25 25
Gujarat 4247 4247 4247
Himachal Pradesh 264 264 264
Lakshadweep 2 2 2
Mizoram 379 379 379
Telangana 909 909 909
Bihar 707 698 678
Uttarakhand 128 128 106
Nagaland 606 605 493
Sikkim 119 119 92
Ladakh 143 143 110
Tamil Nadu 114 114 81
Uttar Pradesh 517 516 358
Meghalaya 1432 1428 953
Karnataka 1082 1080 640
Maharashtra 4952 4929 2699
Odisha 7537 7494 3531
Assam 3083 3005 1375
Madhya Pradesh 11309 11228 4733
Jammu & Kashmir 387 387 113
Jharkhand 7107 7039 1786
Manipur 509 508 117
Andhra Pradesh 868 867 199
Chhattisgarh 6681 6677 1413
West Bengal 3191 3179 594
Rajasthan 5898 5709 1031
Tripura 353 353 37
Kerala 89 89 0
Grand Total 63035 62518 273623. Department of Telecommunication
Survey Villages Villages Total
Villages to Already
pending and Planned under Covered in Villages
be covered Covered
S.N. State issues DBN Schemes DBN schemes Covered
A B C D E F=(E+C)
287 17 35 235 216 251
1 ANDHRA PRADESH
77 6 14 57 34 48
2 ARUNACHAL PRADESH
224 26 55 143 113 168
3 ASSAM
38 3 1 34 28 29
4 BIHAR
513 50 85 378 220 305
5 CHHATTISGARH
10 2 1 7 3 4
6 GOA
162 9 20 133 99 119
7 GUJARAT
32 2 30 24 26
8 HIMACHAL PRADESH
10 1 9
9 JAMMU AND KASHMIR
238 3 51 184 131 182
10 JHARKHAND
19 1 3 15 8 11
11 KARNATAKA
18 1 17 10 11
12 LADAKH
1 1 1 1
13 LAKSHADWEEP
776 24 72 680 402 474
14 MADHYA PRADESH
954 101 194 659 428 622
15 MAHARASHTRA
104 6 50 48 11 61
16 MANIPUR
98 1 78 19 9 87
17 MEGHALAYA
54 10 23 21 9 32
18 MIZORAM
124 2 122 69 71
19 NAGALAND
874 34 83 757 459 542
20 ODISHA
337 15 54 268 183 237
21 RAJASTHAN
1 1 1
22 SIKKIM
87 3 84 78 81
23 TAMIL NADU
62 1 5 56 32 37
24 TELANGANA
81 1 10 70 58 68
25 TRIPURA
53 4 3 46 29 32
26 UTTAR PRADESH
12 1 6 5 5 11
27 UTTARAKHAND
6 1 5 1 2
28 WEST BENGAL
Total 5252 316 853 4083 2660 35134. Ministry of Rural Development- PMGSY
S.No Name of Tentative DA-JGUA Proposal Status (Stage: DPR
State/UT Length (km) scrutiny/Pre-EC/FC, etc.)
1 Jammu and 266.301 Sanctioned on 05.06.2025
Kashmir
2 Chhattisgarh 1,499.757 File approved by HMRD. Clearance letter to
be issued
3 Himachal 254.625 File with HMRD
Pradesh
4 Sikkim 35.47 Pre-EC meeting held on 22.08.2025
5 Rajasthan 324.515 File with HMRD
6 Madhya Pradesh 1,158.51 Pre-EC meeting held on 28.10.2025
7 Odisha 785.81 Pre-EC meeting held on 08.10.2025
8 Assam 368.36 Pre-EC meeting held on 03.11.2025
Total 4,722.968
5. Ministry of Women and Child Development
S. State Sanctioned AWCs operationalized
No.
AWCs
1 Rajasthan 135 134
2 Tamil Nadu 3 3
3 Mizoram 41 -
4 Bihar 45 42
5 Assam 49 -
6 Andhra Pradesh 177 -
7 Jharkhand 50 -
8 Karnataka 164 164
9 Madhya Pradesh 66 66S. State Sanctioned AWCs operationalized
No.
AWCs
10 Meghalaya 26 -
11 Tripura 119 -
6. Ministry of Power
Sr. State/ UTs Physical Progress
No.
Sanctioned HHs & Electrification % of
PIs Progress electrification
(Nos.) (Nos.)
1 Andhra Pradesh 5,103 3,897 76%
2 Arunachal 1,947 719 37%
Pradesh
3 Bihar 7,117 415 6%
4 Chhattisgarh 39,579 4,893 12%
5 Himachal Pradesh 100 1 1%
6 Jammu & 13,824 0 0%
Kashmir
7 Jharkhand 21,377 0 0%
8 Karnataka 5,288 662 13%
9 Kerala 1,097 195 18%
10 Madhya Pradesh 59,822 5,043 8%
11 Maharashtra 6,961 5,228 75%
12 Rajasthan 83,037 0 0%
13 Telangana 27,197 10,502 38.6%
14 Tripura 8,189 2,285 28%
15 Uttar Pradesh 6,897 58 1%
16 Uttarakhand 226 134 59%
Total (A) 287,761 34,032 11.83%7. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Sl. No Name of the State Sanctioned skilling Centers Name of the Districts
1 Bihar 1 Paschim Champaran
2 Chhattisgarh 10 Bastar
Surguja
Kondagoan
Sukma
3 Gujarat 3 Valsad
Surat
4 Jharkhand 6 Ranchi
Simdega
Dumka
5 Karnataka 1 Raichur
6 Madhya Pradesh 10 Dhar
Mandala
Dindori
Ratlam
7 Uttar Pradesh 1 Sonbhadra
8. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Total MMU No of
State Name District name
operational MMU
Eluru 3
KURNOOL 3
Nandyal 1
ANDHRA PRADESH 13
Palnadu 4
PRAKASAM 1
Tirupati 1
CHHATTISGARH 4 DHAMTARI 4
AHMADABAD 1
GUJARAT 28 DANG 1
DEVBHUMI DWARKA 1Total MMU No of
State Name District name
operational MMU
DOHAD 3
NARMADA 7
NAVSARI 7
SABAR KANTHA 4
SURAT 1
TAPI 3
JAMMU AND
1 ANANTNAG 1
KASHMIR
JHARKHAND 5 GIRIDIH 5
MALAPPURAM 1
KERALA 4
PALAKKAD 3
LADAKH 1 KARGIL 1
MADHYA PRADESH 2 GUNA 2
MAHARASHTRA 4 NASHIK 4
NAGALAND 2 KOHIMA 1
PEREN 1
ODISHA 21 GAJAPATI 2
JAJAPUR 1
KENDUJHAR 4
MALKANGIRI 9
RAYAGADA 5
TAMIL NADU 4 DHARMAPURI 1
DINDIGUL 1
THENI 1
TIRUCHIRAPPALLI 1
KUMURAM BHEEM
TELANGANA 4
ASIFABAD 4
TRIPURA 6 Dhalai 1
Gomati 1
Khowai 1Total MMU No of
State Name District name
operational MMU
North Tripura 1
South Tripura 1
Unakoti 1
Total 99
9. Department of School Education and Literacy
S. States/UTs Sanctioned Foundation Stone Construction Status
No Laid
1 Assam 209 209 No Progress
2 Madhya Pradesh 104 0 Under Tendering
3 Rajasthan 58 0 Proposal not received for 1st Installment
4 Arunachal 45 14 14 hostels till plinth level
Pradesh
5 Manipur 44 16 No Progress
6 Chhattisgarh 42 0 No Progress
7 Odisha 40 0 Under Tendering
8 Nagaland 23 23 No Progress
9 Maharashtra 22 0 Proposal not received for 1st Installment
10 Bihar 19 19 Proposal not received for 1st Installment
11 Tripura 15 6 No Progress
12 Karnataka 14 0 Under Tendering
13 Mizoram 13 0 Proposal not received for 1st Installment
14 Telangana 10 8 4 hostels till groundwork
15 Gujrat 9 0 Undertakings are pending
16 Jharkhand 5 2 Undertakings are pending
17 Sikkim* 5 5 4 hostels till plinth level & Hill cutting
work in 1
18 Andhra Pradesh 4 2 Undertakings are pending
19 Uttar Pradesh 3 3 No Progress
20 Uttarakhand 3 0 Proposal not received for 1st InstallmentS. States/UTs Sanctioned Foundation Stone Construction Status
No Laid
21 Himachal 2 2
Pradesh
22 Kerala 2 0
23 Ladakh 1 0
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