Study looks into status of tribal communities at an all-India level and in central India

The Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation, an independent society set up under the Ministry of Rural Development, on Monday released a first-of-its-kind Tribal Development Report-2022, which, over two volumes, looks at the status of tribal communities at an all-India level and in central India with respect to livelihoods, agriculture, natural resources, economy, migration, governance, human development, gender, health, education, art, and culture. The first volume provides a broad overview of the contemporary macroeconomic situation of tribal communities, with a focus on the challenges of agriculture, land, energy, and water use, especially groundwater management; and highlights the need to move into a new paradigm of agroecology-based, nature-positive farming and sustainable water use driven by local institutions. The volume also looks at the neglect faced by tribal areas in developing infrastructure, from irrigation to energy; shares insights on the invisibility of tribal voices in policy processes; and discusses tribal communities in the informal sector and in migration. It discusses challenges faced by tribal communities by focusing on the status of health, education, and nutrition; explores issues related to gender and development and the impact of the loss of traditional rights over land and forest resources; and also presents a progress report on the implementation Panchayat Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act.