The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu interacted with the members of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (June 12, 2023). She also witnessed cultural performances which included Mal Pahariya of Bihar, Siddi of Gujarat, Irula of Kerala, Sahariya of Rajasthan, Baiga Pardhauni of Madhya Pradesh and Budigali of Odisha, on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the President said that she was happy to meet the members of all 75 PVTGs together. She welcomed them at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She noted that many of them have come out from their villages for the first time. She said that each one of them is a representative of their community. She urged them to share their experiences with their community-members and inform them about the welfare schemes of the government.
The President urged the members of PVTGs to give utmost importance to education. She said that for the students of PVTG community, special provision of seats has been made in Eklavya Model Residential Schools. Apart from this, seats are also reserved for them in the National Fellowship and Overseas Scholarship Scheme. She also urged women of PVTG to take advantage of various schemes, including Tribal Women Empowerment Scheme.
The President said that under the Tribal Sub-Plan, 41 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India share part of their budget for the welfare of tribal communities, including PVTGs. She was happy to note that ‘Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission’ has been launched by the Government for the development of PVTGs.
The President said that the campaign announced in the current budget to eradicate Sickle Cell Anemia by the year 2047, is a very important step.
The President said that for the past few years, talented people from the tribal community are being honoured with Padma Awards for their remarkable contributions in various fields. She wished that more than 10 crore people of tribal society, including about 28 lakh people of PVTG society, should develop their talents and contribute their best for the society and country.
The President said that the people of the tribal society have made a lot of sacrifices to protect the motherland and its natural and cultural wealth. To achieve the goals of sustainable development, all of us can learn from the tribal society. It is the duty as well as aspiration of all citizens, especially the tribal people including PVTG, to ensure their development while maintaining their identity and safeguarding their existence. She expressed confidence that the members of PVTG would continue to move forward in the journey of inclusive development of our country.
Earlier in the day, the members of PVTGs had a guided tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Amrit Udyan. After the tour, the President met and interacted with them at the Amrit Udyan.
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