A five fold increase in budget allocation for tribal welfare since 2014, educating tribal children in their mother tongue, including science in the curriculum and promoting their culture and skills. These are some of the steps his government has taken, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

In his inaugural address at the Aadi Mahotsav, the prime minister said: “Our tribal children and youth have achieved progress after learning in their mother tongue. The youth, trapped in separatism due to isolation and neglect, have now connected with the mainstream through internet and infra. This is the stream of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas and sabka prayas’ which reaches every citizen in far-flung areas of the country. This is the sound of confluence of ‘aadi and aadhunikta’, on which the soaring edifice of new India would stand.”

“Education and future of tribal children, based in any corner of the country, is my priority,” Modi said, enumerating steps taken in the new education policy. Among achievements have been increase in the number of Eklavya Model residential schools from 80 to 500 in 2014-22. More than 400 schools have already started functioning, benefitting about one lakh children. The budget has announced recruitment of 38,000 teachers and staff for schools while scholarships for tribal students have been doubled.

Measures for promoting tribal glory included promoting their culture, craft, cuisine, commerce and art, Modi said. The tribal way of life also has lessons on protecting the environment, he said. The PM has been gifting several foreign dignitaries products made by tribals. “India conveys solutions to problems like global warming and climate change in the tribal way of life. The tribal communities have a lot to inspire and teach sustainable development,” he said.

Under the Van Dhan Mission, the government has established more than 3,000 Van Dhan Kendras in various states and 90 minor forest products have been brought into the ambit of MSP, 7 times more than the number in 2014.