National Project Implementation Plan - NVBDCP
National Project Implementation Plan - NVBDCP
National Project Implementation Plan - NVBDCP
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Chapter 15<br />
Safeguard Policy Issues<br />
Vulnerable Communities’ <strong>Plan</strong><br />
15.1 Legal and Institutional Framework<br />
The term ‘vulnerable community’ describes groups with social, cultural,<br />
economic and/or political traditions and institutions distinct from the<br />
mainstream or dominant society that disadvantage them in the development<br />
process. ‘Indigenous people’ (known as ‘Scheduled Tribes’ (ST) or ‘tribal<br />
groups’ in India are recognized as vulnerable communities, and so too are the<br />
‘Scheduled Castes’ (SCs) and economically poor (‘Below Poverty Line’ or BPL),<br />
including those among minority religions. 'Scheduled Castes ' are those who<br />
remain outside the four Hindu castes, and include some professing Buddhism<br />
or Sikhism who continue to be socio-economically deprived. Around 8% of<br />
India’s total population is ST and 17% is SC; about 27% of the total population<br />
is BPL. The Indian Constitution (Article 342) recognizes several communities as<br />
STs and SCs and confers a special status on them to make up for their<br />
disadvantages. A number of provisions in the Constitution aim to abolish all<br />
forms of discrimination against them, and many public programs target SC/STs<br />
and/or BPL people. The majority of STs and SCs continue to be vulnerable as<br />
reflected by their socio-economic characteristics, (e.g., low literacy, prevalence<br />
of poverty - 46% of rural STs are BPL and 35% of urban STs).<br />
The Indian Government designates areas where more than 50% of the<br />
population is tribal as ‘Scheduled Areas’ or ‘Tribal Sub-<strong>Plan</strong>’ (TSP) areas. In<br />
these areas, the interests of STs are especially protected and various tribal<br />
development programs targeted to them. Many districts or parts of districts in<br />
the states in this <strong>Project</strong>, notably Andhra Pradesh (A.P.), Chhattisgarh, Gujarat,<br />
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), Maharashtra and Orissa, are Scheduled<br />
Areas (Table 1) and others are TSP areas.<br />
There are no specific laws mandating provision of health care to STs and SCs.<br />
However, they are a key focus of the <strong>National</strong> Health Policy as it is recognized<br />
that improving their health is critical to achieving national health goals. As<br />
tribal habitations are concentrated in remote, forest or hilly areas the<br />
Government has enhanced the facility: population norms for health care<br />
infrastructure: one health Sub-centre staffed by an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife<br />
(ANM) is to be provided for every 3,000 people in tribal areas (instead of 5,000<br />
people), a Primary Health Center (PHC) with two doctors for 20,000 (instead of<br />
30,000) and a Community Health Center (CHC) with four medical specialists for<br />
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