J&K has 12.75 lakh ST population; Centre details welfare initiatives

Centre says latest ST population figures await next Census; outlines welfare schemes for tribal communities

Srinagar, July 30: Jammu & Kashmir has an officially recorded Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of 12,75,106, according to official figures. The ST population figure was disclosed by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in Parliament.

This would account for around 9.2 per cent of the Union Territory’s estimated population of 1,38,55,000 in 2026, based on the Department of Economics & Statistics, J&K, as reflected in the Jammu & Kashmir Gpross Domestic Product Report, 2026. The new census might come up with updated population numbers, which xpuld change the percentage.

The ST population data of states and UTs was shared by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Minister clarified that the figures are based on the 2011 Census, adding that updated census-based ST population data will become available only after the release of the next Population Census.

According to the reply, Jammu & Kashmir has the largest Scheduled Tribe population among all Union Territories, with 12,75,106 ST residents. It is followed by Ladakh with 2,18,193, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu with 1,93,927, Lakshadweep with 61,120, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands with 28,530. The Minister informed Parliament that Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry have no notified Scheduled Tribes.

The Ministry said the Government continues to implement a range of programmes aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of Scheduled Tribes across the country. These include the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) for infrastructure and basic services in tribal villages, Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) for the development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for residential education.

The Centre is also implementing several scholarship schemes for tribal students, including pre-matric, post-matric, higher education, fellowship and overseas scholarship programmes. Additional support is provided through grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution to bridge infrastructure gaps in tribal areas, grants to voluntary organisations, and livelihood promotion initiatives under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM), the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), and the Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (VCF-ST). The Ministry said health, education, drinking water, connectivity and other infrastructure projects are also being implemented through convergence with other Central ministries and departments.

The Minister also informed Parliament that no proposal is currently under consideration for granting Scheduled Tribe status to any community in the National Capital Territory of Delhi on the basis of duration of residence. He reiterated that the inclusion or exclusion of any community in the Scheduled Tribes list is governed by Article 342 of the Constitution and requires a Presidential notification followed by an Act of Parliament. Such proposals must also receive recommendations from the concerned State Government or Union Territory Administration, concurrence from the Registrar General of India, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

On reservation, the Government stated that political reservation for Scheduled Tribes in legislative bodies and local self-government institutions is provided only in Union Territories where Scheduled Tribes are officially notified. In administrative services, direct recruitment under Union Territory administrations generally follows the Department of Personnel and Training’s policy of 7.5 per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribes at the all-India level, although Union Territories with substantial tribal populations may provide higher reservation in local cadre recruitment in accordance with notifications issued by their respective administrations.