What Happened
- A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment pulled up multiple line ministries for "slow and tardy" progress in executing flagship schemes for tribal villages, calling it direct evidence of "deep mismanagement."
- Of the 29,000 villages proposed to be saturated under PM-JANMAN by 2025-26, only 4,288 had been saturated as per scheme norms — a fraction of the target.
- The PM-JANMAN scheme, a ₹24,000-crore initiative for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), involves convergence across nine central ministries including rural development, telecommunications, health, and education.
- The committee flagged significant fund underutilization: of ₹240 crore allocated for 2024-25 under the tribal affairs ministry, the budget was revised down to ₹150 crore, and only ₹19.25 crore had been spent by February 2025.
- The panel recommended establishing a dedicated monitoring mechanism to track implementation progress before the scheme's deadline.
Static Topic Bridges
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) — Constitutional and Policy Framework
PVTGs are a sub-category of Scheduled Tribes (STs) identified by the Government of India as facing extreme vulnerability — characterized by pre-agricultural technology, stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and subsistence-level economy. The category was first identified during the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974–79) as "Primitive Tribal Groups" (PTGs); the name was changed to PVTGs in 2006. Currently, 75 communities across 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are classified as PVTGs. They are a sub-set of the 705 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342 of the Constitution.
- 75 PVTGs identified across 18 states and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Category first identified in Fifth Five Year Plan (1974–79) as PTGs; renamed PVTGs in 2006
- Constitutional basis: Article 342 empowers the President, after consulting the Governor, to notify Scheduled Tribes; PVTGs fall within this broader ST category
- Fifth Schedule (Articles 244 and 275) governs administration and control of Scheduled Areas and STs
- Article 15(4) empowers the State to make special provisions for the advancement of STs
Connection to this news: PM-JANMAN specifically targets 75 PVTGs, making their constitutional protection and welfare the direct policy mandate; parliamentary scrutiny of its poor execution touches the core of constitutional obligations towards PVTGs.
PM-JANMAN Scheme — Design and Convergence Model
PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) was launched by the central government to provide holistic development to PVTGs through convergence of schemes of nine central ministries. The scheme focuses on 11 critical interventions including safe housing, road and telecom connectivity, clean drinking water, education, health, and electricity. PM-JANMAN is implemented in a mission mode, with tribal affairs ministry as the nodal ministry and nine line ministries responsible for delivering specific scheme outputs in PVTG habitations. The total outlay is approximately ₹24,000 crore over three years.
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- Nine participating line ministries: Rural Development, Jal Shakti, Education, Health, Power, Telecom, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Road Transport and Highways, and Housing and Urban Affairs
- Total outlay: ~₹24,000 crore over three years
- Target: Saturation of PVTG habitations across 18 states with 11 key services
- A convergence-based model: each ministry deploys its existing flagship scheme (e.g., PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission) in PVTG areas
Connection to this news: The committee's criticism directly targets the convergence model's weakness: when nine ministries are jointly responsible, accountability is diffused, leading to the "slow and tardy" execution the panel flagged.
Parliamentary Standing Committees — Role in Executive Accountability
Parliamentary Standing Committees are permanent committees of Parliament that scrutinize the working of ministries, examine demand for grants, and study bills. They are a key instrument of legislative oversight over the executive. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) cover all ministries and are bicameral (members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha). Their reports are tabled in Parliament and, while not binding, carry significant political and reputational weight for ministries.
- 24 Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) cover all central ministries
- Members drawn from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
- Functions: scrutinize demand for grants, examine bills, oversee ministry performance
- Reports are tabled in Parliament — not binding on the executive, but politically significant
- Committees can summon ministers, officials, and experts to depose before them
Connection to this news: The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment used its oversight role to expose inter-ministerial dysfunction in PM-JANMAN delivery, illustrating how parliamentary committees serve as a check on executive performance.
Key Facts & Data
- PM-JANMAN targets: 29,000 villages; achieved: 4,288 villages saturated (as of committee report)
- Total outlay: ~₹24,000 crore; 2024-25 allocation revised from ₹240 crore to ₹150 crore; spent: ₹19.25 crore by Feb 2025
- 75 PVTGs across 18 states + Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- PVTGs are a sub-set of 705 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342
- PTG category created in Fifth Five Year Plan (1974–79); renamed PVTGs in 2006
- Nine line ministries involved in PM-JANMAN convergence