Srinagar, Aug 21 (KNO): The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has shared comprehensive data in the Lok Sabha on various developmental initiatives targeted at Scheduled Tribes across India, including specific progress in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
As per the reply by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey and accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), J&K has made significant strides in tribal development through educational institutions and economic empowerment programmes.
Under the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) schemes, tribal beneficiaries in J&K received over Rs 4.43 crore in financial assistance during the last five financial years. These funds were disbursed through schemes such as Term Loans, Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY), Micro Credit Finance (MCF), and Adivasi Shiksha Rojgar Yojana (ASRY).
The financial support enabled over 1,600 tribal individuals in the Union Territory to gain access to livelihood support, small-scale enterprise loans, and working capital assistance.
Breaking down the latest data for FY 2024–25, the MoS revealed that J&K received Rs 10.80 crore under Term Loan schemes that benefited 397 individuals, while additional allocations were made under AMSY and ASRY. The cumulative assistance for the year totalled Rs 11.02 crore for 409 beneficiaries, marking the highest support received in any of the five years.
Over the years, the Union Territory saw consistent year-on-year support from NSTFDC. In 2020–21, Rs 4.08 crore was disbursed to 175 beneficiaries. In 2021–22, over Rs 13.62 crore supported 410 tribal individuals. In 2022–23, Rs 12.72 crore reached 535 beneficiaries. In 2023–24, assistance worth Rs 2.95 crore was disbursed to 106 tribal individuals.
In the education sector, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous body under the Ministry, reported strong growth in tribal student enrolment in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Jammu & Kashmir.
From a modest count of 294 students in 2022–23, enrolment has risen sharply to 1,134 students in 2025–26, showing increasing trust in residential tribal schooling systems.
These fully residential schools are designed to provide quality education to tribal children in remote areas and are part of the broader effort to reduce educational disparity among tribal populations.
There are currently no Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools (EMDBS) in J&K, but EMRS infrastructure continues to expand under national monitoring, the Ministry said.
J&K is currently served by both autonomous and non-autonomous organisations under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Key bodies include the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) and the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), which facilitate financial, entrepreneurial, and market access support to tribal communities.
The Ministry also stated that success stories and case studies from Jammu & Kashmir have been featured on the official NSTFDC website, showcasing the real-world impact of these schemes on individual tribal entrepreneurs and families—(KNO)