1.1: Introduction: India is a developing nation with a diverse population of various religions, castes and sub-castes. This population is divided into various social groups i.e. Open, OBC, SC, ST and Minor. The tribals are believed to be the original residents of India. They were driven to forests, hills and other inhospitable regions. In their remote existence, these communities established their own different culture, traditions, languages and administrative structure. While some of them are settled cultivators, several others continual to rest on on shifting cultivation, hunting, food gathering, etc. After independence, such areas were retitled as Scheduled Areas and were comprised in Schedule V and Schedule VI. The essential characteristics for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe are primitive traits, geographical isolation, distinctive culture, shyness of contact with outsiders and economic backwardness. The tribal communities characterize diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. The common features found among all the tribal communities are their solid cultural traditions, kinship, remoteness of their habitats, lack of infrastructure facilities and low level of technical improvement. The tribals continue among the most backward and poorest sections of our populations. This chapter will provide details about an origin, definition & meaning of tribal, demographic profile, development status of tribals in India and various development schemes for tribal in India and Maharashtra.

Contents: Introduction, Review of Literature, Approach to Tribal Development, Design of the Study, Socio-Economic and Demographic Profile of the Respondents, Profile of Tribals in Andhra Pradesh, Impact of Education, Absenteeism, Stagnation and Wastage, Alternative Strategies of Development of Tribal Education: Non-Formal Education, Summary and Conclusions.

Education still eludes the tribals in India even after sixty years of planning and development. In a typically tribal dominated pocket like KBK districts of Odisha, three out of four tribals are illiterate, one among ten of their women is literate and 11.3% of 6-14 years tribal children remain out of school. Supply and demand side factors deter spread of education among the tribals. Distance to school from residence and lack of appropriate infrastructure work as supply side constraints on ST children going to school. The demand side constraints include parent's poverty, illiteracy and demand for help in domestic work, large family, cost of education and the like. This book brings out in emphatic terms that socio-economic development of the tribals is function of education. The author succeeded in showing that primary education has an impact on social and economic levels of the tribals. It acts as a lever in improving their income level, agricultural productivity, general awareness and general health. Return to education is the highest in their case among the tribals.

ABSTRACT This qualitative research study explores the cultural dissonance promoted in Indian tribal students by participation in the mainstream Indian educational system and the changes this has brought to their lives. Previous studies have tried to analyze the problem from four theoretical perspectives: biological interpretation, the socio-economic perspective, inter-colonization theory, and the cultural reproduction perspective. This study examines the applicability of these perspectives in analyzing the participation of Indian tribal students in the Indian education system. It attempts to identify elements that are incompatible with tribal culture, examine the difference in educational achievement between the tribal elites and their downtrodden counterparts, assess the social standing of the tribal graduates, and examine teachers' conception of tribal students. The study used a non-experimental, cross-sectional research design with the main tools of data collection being observation and personal interviews. The study was conducted on the Santal, Birhor, Kharia and Lodha tribes located in Bankura, Birbhum, Puruliya, and Paschim Medinipur districts of the state of West Bengal in India. Personal interviews were conducted with tribal students, graduates, parents, teachers, and principals of tribal schools. The research revealed that the modern education system makes little attempt to address cultural specificities in designing education policies for tribal students which results in the development of a negative self-image. Moreover, although claimed to be free by the Indian government, achieving success in the education system involves subsidiary costs like private tution which represents an obstacle for poverty stricken tribal families. The problem is further complicated due to the unempathetic attitudes and beliefs of teachers and the ill-conceived developmental policies designed by educational planners that fail to incorporate curricular elements compatible with tribal culture.

Papers presented at a training program organized by the Training Division, Dept. of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Govt of India.

More than half the people who defecate in the open live in India. Around the world, people live healthier lives than in centuries past, in part because latrines keep faecal germs away from growing babies. India is an exception. Most Indians do not use toilets or latrines, and so infants in India are more likely to die than in neighbouring poorer countries. Children in India are more likely to be stunted than children in sub-Saharan Africa.Where India Goes demonstrates that open defecation in India is not the result of poverty but a direct consequence of the caste system, untouchability and ritual purity. Coffey and Spears tell an unsanitized story of an unsanitary subject, with characters spanning the worlds of mothers and babies living in villages to local government implementers, senior government policymakers and international development professionals. They write of increased funding and ever more unused latrines.Where India Goes is an important and timely book that calls for the annihilation of caste and attendant prejudices, and a fundamental shift in policy perspectives to effect a crucial, much overdue change.

This book explores policy measures and social programmes designed to make quality education accessible to socio-economic disadvantaged groups (SEDGs) in India. It discusses the status of education of disadvantaged or marginalized groups, the discourse around education and equity in India, and innovative practices undertaken by both government and non-government institutions to increase accessibility to education. The book highlights the disparity in the quality of education available to disadvantaged groups, including religious, ethnic, and caste minorities, women and girls, transgender people, people with disabilities, and migrant or displaced children. It examines the effectiveness of initiatives and policies which have been implemented to bring quality education to the SEDG in India. It also offers suggestions and policy recommendations to bridge the disparity in education which will consequently lead to greater economic and social mobility, inclusion, and socio-economic development. The book will be of interest to teachers, students, and researchers of education, sociology, development studies, social work, and disability studies. It will also be useful for policymakers, academicians, and professionals working in the fields of education, social work, and rehabilitation.

India is a multi-racial country. Different parts have different cultural traits and levels of development. It is not uncommon to find that there are certain tribes, which are not yet touched even by the fringe of civilization. Aboriginal are examples of this. The word tribe is taken to denote a primary aggregate of people lining under primitive or barbarous condition under a headman or chief. Tribes is a group of families living as a community under one or more chiefs, united by language and customs. The main and vital objective of this volume is to make in the book a few selected articles that represent some kind of contributions to the knowledge of tribal education. While writing the articles I have tried completely to emphasis on concept, principles and applied aspects of tribal education. This volume will be highly useful to faculty members, researchers, policy makers, local self govt. and NGOs working on tribal development and to the general public.

Self-esteem isn't everything; it's just that there's nothing without it. The victory of women, organized and unorganized, to be able to command their space by the virtue of their decision-making power over the body, career, relations and life has been exhausting in history. The claim of their due has been achieved primarily through access to Education as the starting point. Education is the bedrock of the country's progress, cornerstone of development and the most potential tool to overcome poverty and deprivation because it empowers the other, so called better half of the population that has been systematically languishing in the shackles of well-oiled patriarchy. Girls 'education is a strategic development priority as it equips girls to be better suited to the needs of the dynamic world. India has always rolled out ambitious plans to achieve ever elusive cent percent enrolment with a dedicated focus on girl child education and empowerment. Much still is left to be done as millions of girls and women at the margins still face grave discrimination while many women have broken stereotypes and made a niche for themselves in the male dominated world.