Livelihood Issues among Scheduled Tribes
Livelihood Issues among Scheduled Tribes
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed Lok Sabha that as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the estimate of unemployment rate among Schedule Tribes (STs), at the all-India level including Kerala, for the survey period 2019-20 to 2023-24 is given below:
PLFS Survey period
Unemployment Rate (in percent)
2019-20
3.4
2020-21
2.7
2021-22
2.4
2022-23
1.8
2023-24
1.9
For each household surveyed, the social group to which the head of the household belonged to was recorded. The social group of the head of the household was considered as the social group of all the members of the household, irrespective of the actual social group to which the individual members belonged. The scope of the PLFS survey is all households without any special focus on social groups, sample design was not tailored to specifically net the social groups like Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), etc. Note: 2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for other periods.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements various schemes through its organizations including Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) for promoting livelihood opportunities, skill development and entrepreneurship among Scheduled Tribes across the country including Kerala.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs through TRIFED is implementing Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) for livelihood driven tribal development and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) for protection and development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Under PMJVM, tribal Self-Help Groups are organized into Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) for value addition, processing, packaging, branding and marketing of Minor Forest Produce and other tribal products. Till date, TRIFED has sanctioned 4125 VDVKs with a financial outlay of ₹612.13 crore, benefiting about 12.33 lakh tribal beneficiaries in 25 States and 3 Union Territories. Out of this, 44 VDVKs with a financial outlay of ₹597.25 lakh associated with about 12,038 members have been sanctioned in the State of Kerala. Similarly, under PM-JANMAN, TRIFED has sanctioned 539 VDVKs with a financial outlay of ₹22.98 crore, benefiting about 45,958 PVTG members across 16 States and 1 Union Territory. Out of these, 7 VDVKs have been sanctioned in Kerala, associating 537 members with a sanctioned amount of ₹26.85 lakh.
Further, NSTFDC, an apex organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, provides concessional financial assistance to eligible Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries for undertaking income generating activities and self-employment. The major schemes implemented include Term Loan Scheme, Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY), Micro Credit Scheme for Self Help Groups (MCF) and Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY). These schemes provide financial support for income generation, entrepreneurship development and education of Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries. During the last three financial years and the current financial year up to 28.02.2026, NSTFDC has disbursed loans amounting to ₹1,198.40 crore assisting 2,95,154 beneficiaries across the country out of which ₹23.33 crores have been disbursed in the state of Kerala under its Income Generation Scheme assisting 2209 beneficiaries.
Further, under the Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) provides skill development, re-skilling and up-skilling training through schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), benefiting all sections of society including Scheduled Tribes in the State of Kerala.
Under PMKVY, a total of 8,13,357 ST candidates have been trained across the country up to 31.12.2025. In Kerala, 2,698 ST candidates have been trained, 1,812 certified, and 202 candidates reported placed under the Short-Term Training component. Under the JSS Scheme, 4,50,211 ST candidates have been trained across the country up to 31.12.2025, including 5,405 ST candidates in Kerala. Further, under NAPS-2, 1,65,608 ST apprentices have been engaged across the country during FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 (up to December 2025), of which 5,875 ST apprentices have been engaged in Kerala.
Under the Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) implemented through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), long-term vocational training is imparted to create a skilled workforce. In the State of Kerala, there are 442 ITIs, including 149 Government ITIs and 293 Private ITIs, which provide skill training to youth including those belonging to Scheduled Tribes.