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Can
a tribal girl student undertake an air journey? Can a
tribal student go abroad to undergo MBA education in
English medium? All this would perhaps ring no bells in
the ears of those who have written off the tribal society
as a hapless and backward section. But it is fact now that
the same tribal section of society, living in remote
jungles, is touching new heights and is brimming with a
new vigour and is yearning to achieve new dimensions in
life due to sustained efforts put in by the present state
government to better their lot by initiating several
important steps. Now the children of tribals living in
remote forest areas can handle computer and its mouse side
by side with slates and books and cycle-borne school-going
girls have become a great sign of change.
Various
tribal sects with their different cultures and traditions
have given a multi-ethnic identity to Madhya Pradesh.
Therefore, it has always been a tough challenge for the
state government to maintain the tribal identity of tribal
people while bringing them to the national mainstream.
With this in view the state government has made dedicated
efforts to conserve their traditional heritage while
providing them quality education and developing them
economically.
All-out
efforts are on to provide quality education and employment
to tribal sections and to bring them to the national
mainstream so that they can also march ahead
shoulder-to-shoulder with other sections of society. Due
to the important schemes launched by the state government,
tribal children are now getting higher education in
prestigious schools and colleges of the state as well the
country. Their dream of getting education in foreign
countries is also being fulfilled.
Many
new schemes and projects have been launched by the state
government for tribals’ welfare during the last one
year. Free bicycles are being provided to class IX tribal
girls who have to go to other places since there is no
high school in their village. Under the scheme 11 thousand
106 girl students were benefited at a cost of Rs 2.80 core
in the year 2004-05, Rs 2 crore were spent under the
scheme in the year 2005-06 for providing free cycles to 12
thousand 158 tribal girls and during 2006-07, 16000 tribal
girls were benefited at a cost of Rs 2.41 crore.
Under
Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all), free of cost
school uniforms are distributed among tribal girls through
State Education Centre (Rajya Shiksha Kendra). The
department has started a scheme to provide free school
uniforms to class-I to class-VIII students belonging to
special backward tribals (Baiga, Sahariya and Bhariya). An
scheme to provide them stipends has also been introduced
since the year 2005-06. Under the scheme, 77 thousand 118
student in 2006-07 and 67 thousand so far this year have
been benefited. Under the Pre-Matric Stipend Plan, there
is no provision of stipends to tribal students from
class-I to V. But in view of the condition of Baiga,
Sahariya and Bhariya tribals, such students of these
tribals are being given stipends.
The
state government has converted 100 primary schools into
Ashram Shalas in 47 development blocks of 15 districts
dominated by special backward tribals. These include 21
primary schools in three development blocks of Sheopur
district. Rs 4 crore 32 lakh has been allocated to
creating 400 various posts for these new Ashram Shalas.
State Tribal Development Department and Madhya Pradesh
Council for Employment and Training (MAPCET) have signed a
MoU for giving job-oriented training to unemployed youths
belonging to scheduled tribes. Benefit of Mid-day Meal is
being extended to 17.51 tribal students in 22 thousand 745
primary schools in 89 development blocks. Rs 40 crore 93
has been earmarked for this.
Excellence
Education Centres have been opened at development block
headquarters on the lines of boys and girls 50-seat
Excellence Hostel where all the necessary facilities and
specialised training is being provided to hostellers.
Talented tribal students are admitted to Excellence
Hostels and coaching is also imparted to them there. If
any tribal student wanted to study abroad then under the
scheme for foreign study stipend the department bears all
the expenses on his study in the foreign country. In
2004-05, Shri Anand Singh Bhabhar was provided RS 12.95
lakh for studying in London while the same year Kumari
Sheetal Bhalawi got an stipend to the tune of Rs 3.16 lakh
for studying in East London.
Incentive
money is given away at three stages to the students who
pass UPSC and PSC examinations. The stages include passing
of preliminary written test, passing of main exam and on
being selected. The department would bear all the expenses
on the coaching taken by a tribal student after passing
preliminary test of UPSC. During 2004-05, 2537 tribal
youths were provided incentive money to the tune of Rs 5
crore 88 lakh. In 2005-06, 506 tribal students got Rs 60
lakh incentive money while in 2006-07, Rs one crore 63
lakh 50 thousand was given away to 765 tribal students as
incentive money. Under the Excellent Player Award Scheme,
incentives ranging from Rs 2000 to 22000 are being given
to winners of gold, silver and bronze medals at national
and state level sports competitions.
The
action plan of the department for next year envisages
qualitative improvement in education and making easy the
tough subjects of maths and English by giving special
training to the teachers, entrusting power of appointing
guest faculty to principals. For improvement in exam
results core group has been formed at the state level.
Development block offices would be linked with computer
networking for spread of information technology. All the
higher secondary schools would be provided computers for
imparting computer education to tribals students.
Buildings of the Ashrams, which do not have buildings,
would be constructed. Sanitary kits would be provided to
all the Ashrams/Hostels to tribals students at the time of
admission.
In
major achievements, the Madhya Pradesh government has
succeeded in getting from the Union government Rs 41 crore
for development works in forest villages, rs 6.51 crore
for four roads and Rs 10.05 crore for small irrigation
projects. Under the novel Unified Tribal Dairy Development
Scheme, state government got a proposal passed by the
Union government. 341 villages in 46 development blocks of
11 districts are covered by this scheme. The districts
include Betul, Badwani, Khargone, Dhar, Jhabua, Chhindwara,
Balaghat, Shahdol, Mandla, Seoni and Khandwa. The Rs 74.81
crore project would benefit 8843 beneficiaries.
The
practicable and utility-yielding training is being
imparted by Tribal Research Institute to development
departments’ officers posted in tribal areas, revenue
and police personnel linked to issuance of tribal
certificate and superintendents of tribal hostels\Ashrams.
Dictionaries of tribal dilects Bhili, Gondi and Korku are
getting complied by the department. Through a workshop the
first phase of compiling these dictionaries, which would
have meanings in Hindi and English, has been completed and
7900 Bhili words, 6500 Gondi words and 4800 Korku words
have been compiled. Work is going on at the regional level
to compile rest of the words of these dialects.
The
department is also striving to compile the traditional
verbal literature of tribal groups. Under this scheme,
verbal material of folktales, folksongs, Mantras and other
forms of literature prevalent in tribal groups has been
collected. Form-wise editing and anyalysis of this
material bas begun. Information about tribal artists is
being collected in various districts with a view to
compiling a reference book on traditional tribal artists
and litterateurs.
The
important steps taken to uplift scheduled tribes include a
decision in 2005-06 to raise the limit of foreign study
grant for tribal students from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and
increasing number of beneficiaries from five to ten,
starting stipends for bachelor courses in 2006-07 and
giving stipends to class-I to class-V students belonging
to special backward tribals. Under this scheme 37 thousand
102 students were given stipends in 2005-06 at a cost of
Rs 52.32 lakh and 69 thousand 781 students in 2006-07 at a
cost of Rs one crore four lakh 17 thousand. During the
year 2007-08 the state government has increased the amount
of stipend for class 9 to class 10 tribal students from Rs
300 and Rs 400 per month respectively to Rs 600 and Rs 800
respectively. The stipend for class XI and class XII boy
and girl tribal students staying in hostels has been
raised by Rs 115 and Rs 125 respectively to Rs 265 and
290. Information about tribal life, traditions and culture
is being provided though writing and audio-visual mediums
by Vanya Prakashan, Naye Dwar TV serial and Badhte Kadam
radio programme. Monthly child magazine ‘Samajh Jharoka’
based on education, literature and general knowledge is
being published for tribal children. National Awards in
the names of Rani Durgawati, Veer-Shankar Shah, Raghunath
Shah and Thakkar Bapa and state-level award in the name of
people’s hero Tantya Bhil have been instituted. Film
production and screening were undertaken to authenticate
tribal life, beliefs, traditions and culture while Adi
Sandarbh book series has been published. These books have
been compiled after best studies, research and analysis of
tribal life, traditions and etiquette. Now the first film
festival of the world, which would focus on tribal
culture, art, life, traditions etc., is going to be held.
Community Radio Vanya is being started in area dominated
by backward tribes including Karahal (Sheopur), Tamia (Chhindwara),
Baigachak (Dindori), Khalwa (Khandwa), Betul and Dhar. The
broadcasts would be mainly in local dialect and Hindi.
Radio Vanya would not only provide important information
about the welfare programmes launched for tribal
development but it would also lead to documentation of
tribal culture and traditions.
Many
important announcements have been made by Chief Minister
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the Adivasi Panchayat and
immediate action was taken to implement these
announcements. The decisions include increase in the
stipend for those boys and girl pupils who live in
hostels\Ashrams from Rs 350 and Rs 360 respectively to Rs
500 and Rs 525. The class IX and X boy and girl students
would now get stipend at the rate of Rs 60 and Rs 80 per
month. A provision kit would be provided to each student
staying in the hostel every year. Incentive money has also
been increased. The girl students of taking admission in
class XI would be given incentive money of Rs 3000 instead
of Rs 2000 apart from post-matric stipend.
For
special facility to Special Backward Tribe students from
classes I to XII would be given free uniforms,
shoes-socks, sweaters and school bags every year. The
first three boy and girl students who fare well at the 10th
and 12th Board exams would be honoured with Shankar Shah
and Rani Durgawati prizes respectively. First prize would
be of Rs 20 thousand, second Rs 15 thousand and third Rs
10 thousand for class 10 and Rs 30 thousand, Rs 20
thousand and Rs 10 thousand for first, second and third
prizes for class XII. One hundred tribal students who
would get best marks in class-X and class-XII exams would
be given prizes worth Rs 1000 each.
Madhya
Pradesh is a tribal dominant state. Therefore, any concept
of development would be incomplete without including this
section of society. Robust efforts are being made to bring
them to the mainstream. Schemes for their education right
from class-I to higher studies have been implemented with
full seriousness. Similarly, keeping economic development
at the centre stage, tribals have been included in
employment programmes. With these efforts, members of
scheduled tribes are fast joining the mainstream.
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