Scheduled Tribes (ST)'s living condition witnessed considerable improvement over the years: Centre
New Delhi, Dec 6: There has been a considerable improvement in living conditions of the Scheduled Tribes in India over the years, the government informed Lok Sabha on Monday citing data from decennial census, management information system and sample surveys.
However, there are still gaps in human development indicators between Scheduled Tribes and all India population, it said. "Data pertaining to decennial census, management information system and sample surveys by different ministries and departments reveal that there have been considerable improvements in living conditions of Scheduled Tribes over the years," Minister of State For Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta said in response to a question.
Literacy
Rate
among
ST
For
example,
the
literacy
rate
of
Scheduled
Tribes
has
improved
from
47.1
per
cent
in
2001
to
59
per
cent
in
2011.
The
Periodic
Labour
Force
Survey
report
(July
2019-June
2020)
reveals
that
the
literacy
rate
for
STs
has
increased
to
70.1
per
cent,
she
said.
Citing a report by the Union Education Ministry, Saruta said the gross enrolment ratio for Scheduled Tribes students at the secondary (classes nine to 10) level has increased from 62.4 per cent in 2012-13 to 76.7 per cent in 2019-20.
Infant
Mortality
Rate
According
to
the
National
Family
Health
Surveys,
in
Scheduled
Tribes
infant
mortality
rate
has
declined
from
62.1
in
2005-06
to
44.4
in
2015-16;
under-five
mortality
rate
has
declined
from
95.7
in
2005-06
to
57.2
in
2015-16;
and
institutional
delivery
has
increased
from
17.7
per
cent
in
2005-06
to
68.0
per
cent
in
2015-16,
the
minister
said.
"Further, the percentage of underweight (weight-for-age) ST children aged less than five has declined from 54.5 in 2005-06 to 45.3 in 2015-16," she added. The erstwhile Planning Commission estimated that the percentage of Scheduled Tribes people living below the poverty line in rural areas has declined from 62.3 per cent in 2004-05 to 45.3 per cent in 2011-12.
Also, the percentage of Scheduled Tribes people living below the poverty line in urban areas has declined from 35.5 per cent in 2004-05 to 24.1 per cent in 2011-12. PTI