History of Van Gujjars:

Muslims arrived in India as Traders, Warriors and Sufis. Sometimes the Sufis came in the
garb of Warriors because this was the quickest way of entry into the Subcontinent. The form
and the spirit of Islam remain immensely well adapted to South Asian religiosity centering on
the cult of personages perceived to be intimate with God and hence, recognized as the saints,
both in the sense of being near God and possessing knowledge and power from God to speak
words of wisdom and perform miracles. Since its origins, Sufism has been known to be in
some sort of conflict with the traditional Islam of the Ulama. The state apparatus remained
largely tentative as to the form of Islam it subscribed to. Ulama had their periods of power
and political patronage as they attached themselves to the courts, but Sufism was always the
popular expression of Islam. The royalty deferred to the Sufis for reasons of their
independence, popularity, power and charisma. There were periods when the state allied with
the Ulama in Islamizing Muslims of the subcontinent, with little success though;
islamization continues today through the efforts of the revivalist movements and the fast
mushrooming religious schools (madrasas). These are apparently responsible for creating the
consciousness of the true Islam among ordinary Muslims. So widespread is their network
that there is hardly any community that remains untouched. A study of the transformation of
South Asian Islam is, in this context, significant. An evidence of the movements of change
among the remotest and most far flung of the Muslim communities will give us an idea of the
nature, extent and success of islamization. Gujjars have been a vibrant ethnic minority of
India. Majority of these are said to be the Rajputs (warrior-ruling caste) of Hinduism spread
through out the states of Gujrat, Rajasthan and Central India. A relatively smaller minority of
Gujjars is Muslim and inhabits the Himalayan foothills from the North West regions of
Pakistan through to Jammu and Kashmir, Himanchal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. Majority of
these live in the forest regions of the Himalayas and hence, called the Van Gujjars. I am
taking the Van Gujjar of the Rajaji National Park in Uttaracnchal as a case in point. Based on
preliminary observations, my assumption is that despite their relative isolation, the Van
Gujjars are experiencing a degree of Islamizing. The study I have begun, hopes to establish
the extent of Islamization and the impact this has on the Van Gujjars in general and their
time-honored folk Islamic beliefs and practices. In this paper, however, I am seeking tolay a
foundation for the more in depth qualitative research I am currently doing among the Van
Gujjars. I give some information on the Rajaji National Park, address some general questions
of their broader ethnic background, and the process of adopting Islam, forest and
vegetarianism.
ORIGINS OF GUJJARS IN INDIA
The Gujjars numbered around 2,038,692 according to their last census in 1931. Eight
provinces were then identified as pockets inhabited by them namely, Delhi, Jammu-
Kashmir, Punjab (undivided) the North-West Provinces (Pakistan) and other area in
and along the Himalayas (now Uttaranchal and Himanchal Pradesh). The Van Gujjars
are relatively unknown in relation to the Hindu Gujjars of North West India. According to the
current reports, the majority of Van Gujjars are semi-nomadic, forest-dwelling and cattle-
herding Muslim. Much has been said and written on Government and NGO involvements
among the Van Gujjars and their socio-political, economic and educational advancement, and
how they themselves are struggling to fight for their rights in some pockets. Their origins,
relations with traditional Islam and religious worldview remain largely shrouded in mystery.
Gujjars are normally associated with North-Western India, especially the state of Gujrat. The
state of Gujrat was formed on 1stMay 1960, as a result of Bombay re-organisation act of
1960. The term Gujrat is the shortened form of Gujjar Rashtra,
the land of the Gujjars.
The question of the origin of the Gujjars remains largely unanswered. According to a theory,
the Gujjars were originally a migrant tribe that came to India in the wake of the invading
Huns in the 5th century CE. The Huns were originally a nomadic and pastoral people from
Central Asia. This tribe was the source of two major migrations one to Europe and the other
to regions south of Central Asia. The largest of group migrated to Europe and the smaller to
the south, including India, through the Oxus Valley and Kabul.According to VA Smith
Gujjars were probably related by blood to the Huns.The Hans and the Gujjars were among
several groups of migrations before the advent of Islam in the Indian Subcontinent. Some
suggest that the Gujjars are descendents of the Scythian (Sacae or Saka)and Yue-Chi
(Kushan)tribes that invaded the subcontinent in the 1
st
century BC and in the 1
st
century CE
respectively. These probably came via Georgia (Gurjia), somewhere near the Black Sea and
the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is also called the Bahr-e-Khizar and, hence, the tribes
from this region are also named as Khizar, Guzar, Gurjar, Gurjara or Gujjar.In the 5
th
century
CE, Brahminism experienced a revival under the Guptas. The invading Huns repeated the
political successes of their European cousins, and the Gupta Empire soon collapsed. The
Brahmins, the elite in Indian society, were especially affected because the power of their
patrons, the Guptas, was waning whilst Buddhism was increasing in influence. The warrior
Huns, and likely also the Gujjars
(if one assumes they were two different ethnic groups), were accorded the status of the high-
caste Kshatriyas (second level of the Hindu caste) or Rajputs (sons of the rulers) with
responsibilities to rule.Many of these were converted when the waves of Muslim invaders
made their way into India and gradually established their rule. Islam was born in Arabia in
6th century
CE. Arabs spilling out of Arabia soon replaced the Persians. In 711-13 CE these Persianised
Arabs advanced first towards the Indian subcontinent and gradually established their political
rule over much of the subcontinents north. Some of the well known rulers before the advent
of the Mughals include the Ghaznavis (10
th
century), the Ghauris (early 12
th
century), the
Mamluks (late 12
th
early 13
th
centuries), the Khiljis (late 13
th
century), the Tughlaqs (early
14
th
century), and the Lodhis (15
th
century). According to a Gujjar website, the Mughal
Emperors are said to have had an agreement with some of the unconverted Rajput or
Kshatriya kingdoms that if they were defeated they would convert to Islam. Many of these
Rajupts lost their battles with the Muslim rulers and thereafter converted to Islam. We hear of
a distinct Gujjar Kingdom in the present North-Western state of Rajasthan, bordering the
present state of Gujrat from around fifth century CE. The reference to a Gujjar Kingdom so
early on suggests these might have been a group of powerful people. Many of these migrated
from Gujrat early on due to a series of droughts. These secondary migrations actually brought
the Gujjars to the greener areas of the foothills of the Himalayas, ranging from Kashmir to
the hills of Himanchal and Uttar Pradesh (now Uttaranchal). Most of these secondary
migrations left a trail of Gujjars who settled on the plains of North-Central India. We know
that Gujjars were a sizable community in Tuqhlakabad (now part of the city of Delhi).
Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, a 12
th
century Sultan, was the first of the Tughlaqs to rule over a
large part of India. He built the city of Tughlaqabad. He is known, along with his son,
Muhammad bin Tughlaq, to have conquered parts of the Deccan where Hindu rebellion was
rising. His conflicts with the 12
th
century Chishti Sufi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya is well
known. This Sufi especially objected to the religious laxity of the Sultan. It is said that he
cursed the city (then dominated by Gujjars):
Ya rahe Gujjar, Ya rahe Ujjar(If Gujjars are not allowed to settle here, may it remain barren
forever). If this legend is true then one can say that the Gujjars were a powerful force already
in this region before the establishment of the Sultanate. The Sultan and his traditional
religious establishment nurtured anti-Gujjar sentiments possibly because the Gujjars were
high standing Hindus with sympathies for the Sufi. It is likely that many Gujjars converted to
Sufism in solidarity with the Saint and in protest against the traditional-political Islam.

GUJJARS OF RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK
Rajaji National Park The Himalayas are the youngest mountain chain of the world. They
form about 18% of the geographical area of India, feed the major river systems and regulate
the climate of a good part of north India. The Himalayas span approximately 3000km from
the North West to the North East of Indian Subcontinent. The highest Mountains in the Indian
part are the Kanchanjanga and Nanda Devi, standing at around 7-8000 meters. The medium
ranges (approximately 3-5000 meters) lie to the south and flanking the indo-gangetic plains
are the foothills of the Shivaliks (approximately 900-1500 meters). The Gujjar Muslims
inhabit the medium and the lower ranges. Originally 3 separate sanctuaries, the Rajaji
National Park (RNP) was created through the amalgamation of Motichur and Chilla forests in
1983. It was named Rajaji National Park after the famous freedom fighter, C Rajagopalachari
or Rajaji in short. The RNP occupies 820.42 sq. km. of the Shivaliks and marks the North
Western limits of the Asian Elephant. It has a complex ecosystem, rich in wildlife. The forest
is home to approximately 23 species of mammals, 315 species of birds and 3 different human
habitations within its perimeters. The RNP can be reached by air, rail and state roadways and
is linked to Delhi and Lucknow by rail and road. There are 7 gates entrances to the forest.
The gate at Mohund, about 25 km. from Dehradun (capital of Uttaranchal state), is most
convenient for those coming by road from Delhi. Mohund lies on the state highway.
In describing the Flora of the Rajaji National Park (RNP), B Singh and MP Singh describe
the Gujjars as a tribal community of the park. The Gujjars, as observed earlier, are the
descendents of the warrior people, some of who converted to Islam and gradually moved
northward to Jammu and Kashmir and, then, to the other parts of the foothills of the
Himalayas. A story is told of a King of Sirmaur in Himanchal Pradesh visiting the kingdom
of Punch in Kashmir. He is said to have liked the quality of milk in Punch so much that he
invited the Gujjars to settle down in Sirmaur. It is believed that it was from here that family
units migrated to the , possibly at the turn of the 20
th
century.
According to CP Goyal, director of the RNP, the Park presents myriad management
problems.To begin with, the existing railway lines, the highways and the surrounding villages
impinge on the wildlife.
In addition to these, the Park houses three different ethnic human settlements: the Taungyas
and the Gothiyas and the Van Gujjars. The 1400 odd Van Gujjar families and over 10,000
domestic cattle inside the RNP are said to exert enormous pressure on the wildlife habitat.In
contrast to the Bakarwals who herd the goat, the Van Gujjars of RNP herd a small,
tough and hybrid variety of the buffalo a mix of the nili and the ravi. The Van Gujjars are
vegetarian and depend entirely on the forest produce and the milk or milk products of the
hybrid buffalo. The buffalo is an extremely prized animal. It is treated with respect and each
buffalo is considered an individual in its own right with appropriate name by which it is
called and known. This is what the Gujjars say about their buffaloes:
Our buffaloes start migrating on their own when the weather gets hot in the month of March
or April or when it becomes cold in the month of September (close to the snow line). At
times if we are not ready to move, we have to physically stop them. If they are not disturbed
they can reach their destinations even on their own. They are like any other wild animal of
the forests and know how to protect themselves against attacks from carnivorious animals.
They have their own warning sounds and all of them gather together in a circle with the clves
inside and can fend off any attack. This behavious you will not see in dairy buffaloes. Our
buffaloes forage mainly on leaf fodder during the winter months and on the rich grass of the
Himalayan pasture land during the summers. In winter we lop off branches from selected
fodder trees making sure that enough nodal branches and leaves are left so that the tree may
regenerate....
The efforts of the government and NGOs at relocating the Gujjars have not been very
successful. The Van Gujjars spend autumn (approximately October to April) in the Shiwaliks
and the summer and the rainy season (May to September) in the higher pastures of the
Himalayas. Migrations between these grazing zones take up to three months. They are
completely dependent on the forests for their needs of fodder, fuel wood, thatching material
and timber for their huts. According to the Park reports, the wildlife and cattle of the RNP
competes for fodder and water with the Gujjars and their buffaloes. Traditionally, they
migrated to the higher Himalayan pastures during the monsoons. This allowed the vegetation
in the park to regenerate and when they returned in October, there was more than adequate
fodder reserve to last until their migration in May again. According to the park reports, the
Gujjars and their buffalo populations have grown many-fold in the last few decades causing
additional pressure on the forest resources that have remained the same. Their annual
migration cycle has come in for disruption from the villages on route to the higher mountain
pastures, since the Gujjar cattle compete with the domestic sheep for food. Also, the Gujjars
are today, more aware of the profits they can make from selling milk
in towns around the forest. The youth are least enthusiastic about annual migration also
because of the prospects of additional year-round job opportunities in towns adjoining the
forest. The result is that only a small proportion of the Gujjars and their cattle migrate. The
majority remain in the forest round the year. Some Gujjar families have been rehabilitated
outside the Park. By the middle of March 2000, a total of over 400 families were relocated to
Pathri and Gaindikhatta, the two rehabilitation sites near the famous Hindu pilgrim-town of
Haridwar. Each family has been allocated two acres of land for cultivation. Reports on how
these changes impact the forest and its biodiversity exist. No studies have so far been done to
understand their impact on the Gujjars and their traditional faith/practice. The Gujjars of the
RNP live in homesteads called the deras. Each house is built from the forest material on a
clearing in the forest. The Gujjars live and move in joint family groups and set up temporary
settlements where the grazing is good. Men graze the animals and sell the milk and the
women milk the cattle, make butter and do the other household chores. The men wear a
turban, a lose tahmet (sarong) and generally have a flowing beard. Some wearembroidered
waistcoats. The women wear a long kurta (shirt), churidar (tight pyjamas), and jackets. The
women do not generally veil themselves. Gujjars speak Gujjari or Gojri, a dialect of Hindi.
Many speak Urdu, Kashmiri, Pahari or Dogri as well. They are a monogamous and
patriarchal society. Milk and cornmeal are their staple food, and are strict vegetarians.











CULTURE OF VANGUJJARS :
India is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual country. People belonging to many
religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam live in this
country since time immemorial. However, there appears to be substantial differentials in the
socio-economic and demo- graphic profiles of major religious communities, mainly emerg-
ing from socio-cultural and historical reasons. The various re- ligious groups in India,
especially Musalmans are not homoge- neous populations. The Muslims are divided and
subdivided into innumerable qoum, biradari, zat, kunba, khandan, sects and cultural
entities. If we have Shafi in Kerala and Lakshadweep, we have Shia, Sunni, Wanabi, Sufi too.
Within Shia we have asna ashariay, zaidiyah, dawoodiya, while within Sunni we have hanafi,
maliki, hambali, firangimahali, deohandi, barelwi besides innumerable cultural entities such
as meo, gujar, jat, tyagi, khoja, mansoori, memon, momin and so on and so forth [for details
see Rizvi et al 2000]. They speak different languages, dress differently and practise diverse
customs and rites. Research among Musalmans is still conducted within the framework
bequeathed by the British and some nationalist writers. The categories used to define them
have been questioned but not changed. There is still talk of a Muslim mind a Muslim
outlook and an inclination to construct a Muslim identity around Islam. A sense of
otherness is conveyed is such image. Musalman are made to appear different in the present
media, is some literary works and in the world of cinema. In this respect there is often a
striking convergence between the secular and communal perspectives. According to an
estimate one-third of a million pastoral Musalman Gujjar live in north and north-western
Himalayas comprising parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
They claim that their ancestors probably were huns (ephalites) who entered in Himalayas in
large numbers in the fifth century. The group derives its name either from Sanskrit word
gouchar (meaning cow grazier) or from the name of ancient country Gurjar. In Uttaranchal
they, in order to identify themselves as distinct pastoral nomads and different from settled
Gujjars, refer themselves as Vangujjar meaning forest dwelling Gujjars and trace their
migration from Gujarat a place now in Pakistan (refer Map). They are traditionally buffalo
keepers. One of their legends claims that they were converted to Islam by Taimur when he
attacked Delhi. In Uttaranchal the Vangujjar claim to have migrated from Jammu some 85
years ago and after trespassing the Himachal Pradesh reached the Garhwal Himalayas. They
still practise ancestral profession of buffalo keeping, selling of milk and milk products.
According to our estimate there are about 148 families living in Mohand, Dhaulakhand,
Ranipur, Asarori, Morichoor, Chandi Sabalgarh and Laldhang forest ranges of Uttaranchal
while around 989 families are settled in non-hill portion of Nainital, Tehri Garhwal and
Dehradun. In summer these 148 families migrate to hills and remain in vicinity of Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Gangotri and Jamnotri ranges. The present discussion is restricted to 148 families
spread over eight forest ranges in districts of Dehradun and Uttarkashi (Appendix). It would
be relevant here to say a few words about their economy. Buffalo keeping still remains their
main occupation. Study shows that only 7.5 per cent families possessed land and the average
landholding being 5.7 acres per family. All the families in this study possessed buffaloes
the average number of buffaloes per family being 12.8. Due to poor yield and exploitation by
middle- men in marketing of milk and milk products the majority of Vangujjar were found to
be quite poor. It was also found that 85 per cent families were indebted. They profess Sunni
Islam and employ a maulwi (religious teacher) in each dera (habitation of families of one
genealogy) who not only presides over the rituals, but also teaches recitation of Quran.
Besides, he is also a medicine man and holds power to perform, witchcraft while dealing with
diseases of men and cattle. Each family contributes to the upkeep of this maulwi who
generally receives training at seminary situated in Deoband near Saharanpur. He collects a
fixed amount from each family and deposits the same with the seminary during his yearly
visit. The Vangujjars, on the pattern of Hindu social stratification are subdivided into got
(gotra) which are exogamous. The main gotra found are kasana, lodha, padhana, baqri, dinda,
bhainsi, chauhan, chechi, khatana and baniya. There are many versions on genesis of gotra
name. According to members of kasana gotra the name is derived from Kansa the well
known king who was killed by Lord Krishna. His followers formed the gotra kasana.
Chauhan is borrowed from rajput gotra while bhainsi most probably originated from bhains
(buffalo). Gotra plays important role in some of the rituals associated with marriage. As for
example in engagement ceremony (kudmai) the grooms side is offered a special dish made
of hot milk mixed with butter and if any member in the grooms party belongs to the gotra of
bride, in such case he is not allowed to even touch the dish. Similarly in the ceremonial bath
the groom can be assisted by men of his gotra only. No traces of socio-ritual hierarchy could
be found among the gotra. They zealously guard their gotra system. They do not have any
linkage either with other Muslim- or Hindu-settled Gujjars of non-Jammu and Jammu origin.
Neither they have any social intercourse with the other Musalman groups of their
neighbourhood. The reason for such social isolation may be due to their physical isolation
since for a major part of the year they live in the interior forests of Uttaranchal hills. Their
womenfolk have hardly any chance to come in contact with non-Vangujjar. The men have
only occasional contacts with others when they visit village markets or meet forest officials.
They spend the winter in the peripheral forests of Dehradun, Hardwar, Saharanpur and Pauri
Garhwal districts of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh.
They spend summer in the grasslands (bugyals) of the higher mountains. The group has
traditionally subsisted on the breeding of buffaloes and the consequent milk products. Due to
efforts of an NGO about 400 Vangujjars received training at the National Dairy Research
Institute (NDRI), Karnal. This was done in order to make them interact with and understand
the techniques of dairy farming, which are, till date, alien to them. This expose may help in a
shift from mere subsistence to a market-oriented economy. The partition of India raised
artificial boundaries, which re- duced the rangeland the Vangujjars earlier traversed. The
subsequent state boundaries of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal further
fragmented these ranges and restricted their movements to the pasture area of the forests now
falling within Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The increase in population of cattle and their
masters coupled with degradation of grasslands due to climatic changes, deforestation, road
building, landslides and plethora of so-called development schemes the Vangujjars are face to
face with the threat of survival. It may be borne in mind that they are bound to control the
growing number of buffaloes since restrictions are laid on the number of animal units allowed
within the forest ranges under the control of forest department. Herding permits have to be
negotiated with the forest officials. If more animals are kept than the permits allow, bribery
has to be given to the local forest officials mostly in the form of milk, milk products and
sometimes goats too. In spite of this, severe limitation is set on herd growth. They thus feel
that their survival is based on the mercy of forest officials since negotiation for obtaining
permit continues unabated. Their immediate prob- lem reduces itself to how to achieve
sufficient productivity from the manipulation of available livestock within the available
environment so that the people may be kept alive from one year to the next. Their central
concern hence revolves on the axis of survival of a whole group within the ambit of their
environs. The problems gets compounded when we observe the role of middlemen in their
economy who apart from buying their milk also act as moneylenders. He advances money for
all kinds of their needs like purchase of fodder to meet marriage expenses. By augmenting
debt he ensure a regular supply of milk on the rates decided by him and not by the rates
prevailing in the market. Vangujjars thus irrevocably get tied up to middlemen. Since
Vangujjars are not literate hence are not in a position to maintain any accounts of transaction
and therefore middlemen manage to manipulate the records and keep the Vangujjars
indebted. Further- more, during their stay in the hills they are pursued by the middlemen who
collect either fresh milk whenever there is a close by market for milk and also collect ghee
(clarified butter) whenever transporation is more difficult. To add to their woes the forest
department wants to evict them from their niche, since the government in 1983 declared 820
sq km of forest areas, housing three wildlife sanctuaries (Rajaji, Motichur and Chilla), as
National Park. This declaration adversely affected over 3,000 Vangujjar families. The
settlement sites at Pathri is to house 512 families and while in between 1983 and 2001 the
number of families have grown. Moreover, the Vangujjars find that the squalid living
conditions and absence of forests in settlement areas deprive their cattles from fodder and
fuel for their hearths. These settlements are concrete tenements and the forest dwellers are not
used to live in such structures. Even in Himachal Pradesh the concrete tenements remained
unoccupied and resettled Vangujjars costructed their huts to live in. The concrete tenements
are used as storehouses. Moreover, in the resettlement plans they have been allowed to keep
only six animals (milching and non-milching buffaloes including calves) for the entire
extended joint family, that is, the whole dera. Vangujjars call this settlement as kalapani
as it is bounded by marshy land of Ganga on one side, by rail-track on the other side and on
remaining sides are cultivated fields of local zamindars. Thus they not only have to buy fuel
for their survival, but also buy fodder for their cattles survival. The local market charge
higher rates and hence becomes an expensive proposition for a family, which has meagre
yield of milk and milk products.These are two basic necessities of Vangujjars life, which
were met by nature when he was in forest. There has been a demand to accord a status of a
tribe to this group and the state government has forwarded its recommen- dations on the basis
of reports prepared and supported by a number of NGOs working in this area. There are
certain cultural characteristics, which set the Vangujjars apart from Musalman stereotype.
They are not threat to forests and its wildlife since they not only refrain from eating flesh, but
also do not even burn a termite eaten dead log of wood. No case has ever been recorded of a
Vangujjar poaching and neither are there any report of any wild animal (including man-eater
tigers/leopards) ever having killed any Vangujjar. Though they lop trees for fodder they lop
off only the leaves as their very survival depends upon the regeneration of these leaves in the
following year. They even pay tax for lopping and pay fee to obtain grazing rights too. It may
be noted here that Vangujjars are given only individual rights on forests unlike in north-east
India where community rights are given for grazing and jhuming (slash and burn method of
cultivation) in the forests. This individualistic-based policy inherited from the British raj
continues unabated. This policy makes easier for even a forest guard to isolate and harass one
single permit holder, while others who were in waiting, stand apart. This also prevents
cohesiveness of the whole forest-based indigenous ethnic groups. The individual rights of
permit deprive them of all the opportunities to unite for their cause and struggle against
corruption, deprivation and malpractices adopted by the forest officials. What is the future
like for nomadic pastoralism? Would this mode of production and sustenance become extinct
due to the shrinking of natural base? Till date the Vangujjars have survived because they had
occupied a ecological niche, raising cattle and producing milk from marginal lands but what
will happen when there are no more marginal pasture land available since the land is either
turned into wasteland or is being taken over by other vested interests? However, the modern
world might also provide new oppor- tunities by opening up new markets for the pastoralists
products. The fast growing urban centres close to traditional habitats of Vangujjar and
emerging middle class, turn into consumers of milk and milk products since buying from
Vangujjars is not only economical, but their yield has high fat content and free from urea
traces generally found in the milk supply in urban centres. Since the cattle of Vangujjars
graze in those pastures where the grass and other constitutent fodder remains devoid of
chemical fertilisers.. The above scenario is the social reality in which this pastoralist nomadic
group has to make its choices and work out strategies. How this can be achieved is a
question only time would answer.







GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES FOR VAN GUJJARS :
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing Special Area Programmes/ Central
Sector/Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the socio-economic development of Scheduled
Tribes in the country. The projects for the development of Scheduled Tribes under the
schemes/programmes of the Ministry are implemented through the State/UT Governments
and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Details of the schemes/programmes of the
Ministry are as below:

(i) Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan for employment-cum-income
generation activities.

(ii) Grant under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution of India for promotion of welfare of
Scheduled Tribes and upgradation of the levels of administration in Scheduled Areas. A
part of grant under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution is used for setting up of Ekalavya
Model Residential Schools for providing quality education to ST students (both girls and
boys) from class VI to XII.

(iii) Scheme of Strengthening Education among Schedules Tribe (ST) Girls in Low
Literacy Districts.

(iv) Scheme of construction of hostels for ST Girls and Boys.

(v) Scheme of Establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub Plan Areas.

(vi) Vocational Training in Tribal Areas. The Schemes of Vocational Training in Tribal
Areas is a self-employment or employment oriented scheme aimed at benefiting ST boys
and Girls equally.

(vii) Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students.

(viii) Pre-Matric scholarship for ST Students for class IX-X

(ix) Upgradation of Merit of ST students.

(x) Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for STs.

(xi) Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship for STs.

(xii) Top class Education for ST students.

(xiii) Grants-in aid to Voluntary Organization (under which residential, non-residential
schools, computer training centers and knitting, weaving & handloom training centers run
by NGOs for ST students are supported, apart from hospitals, mobile dispensaries etc.)

(xiv) This Ministry is also implementing the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional
Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 which seeks to recognize and
vest forest rights over forest land in forest dwelling STs and other traditional forest
dwellers.