Tribal Development and Planning (Tribal Life in India) (Volume-9)

Economic planning since First Five Year Plan, recommended that a positive policy of assisting the tribals should be formulated in order to develop their natural resources and evolve a productive life which can prevent exploitation by more organised economic forces. In the Second Plan it was emphasised that all welfare programmes should be made in the context of tribal culture after reviewing their psychological and economic problems.

In the Third Plan, it was accepted in principle that in facilitating the development of agriculture, communication, health and education services, the tribal people should be able to develop their own traditional wits and culture without pressure or imposition from outside. Under the Fourth Plan six pilot projects for Tribal Development known as Tribal Development Agencies were taken up in central sector. The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Plans saw the emergence of the Tribal development strategy in the country on a massive scale. The tribal sub-plan envisaged pooling of all available fiscal and personal resources. The Eighth, Nineth and Tenth Plans emphasise a total integrated effort for all-round Tribal development.

This book studies in depth the massive efforts that have been made for the socio-economic development of the tribal people by the government through organised economic planning. For future planning for tribal development, the study of the past endeavours seems to be essential. This aspect has been kept in view while preparing this book.

Dr. Devendra Thakur (b. 1939), D.Litt., was formerly Professor in L.N. Mishra College of Business Management, P.G. Deptt., B.B.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur. He was Ex-Member, Bihar College Service Commission. He has taught Economics, Co-operation and Extension in the Rural Institute of Higher Studies, Birauli for more than a decade. He completed his Ph.D. in 1970 and D.Litt. in 1989. He was awarded post-Doctoral fellowship by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to study problems relating to Tribals.

He visited Naples, Italy, on Italian Government. Scholarship to study plan implementation course. A number of articles written by him on Socio- Economic and Political problems have been published in reputed journals of and also dozens of talks have been broadcast by him from A.I.R., Patna. He is also author of a number of outstanding books.

Dr. D.N. Thakur is M.A. in Hindi, English, Prakrit and Jainology and Ph.D. on the subject "Trends of Traditions of Indian Semantics". He has been a dedicated teacher and always endeavoured to explore new areas of study in different fields of knowledge including socio-economic development of Indian Tribes. Moreover, Dr. Thakur has assisted a lot of South-East Asian research scholars in fulfilment of their works on different subjects. He is still devoted to serve humanity through his writings.

The Tribal India forms a distinct picture of the country. The tribal people are, infact, the original inhabitants of the soil. But, due to ignorance and poverty, they do not know their right and privileges. After independence, the Constitution of India provided safeguards for the Tribal people. To translate these constitutional provisions into practice special schemes were provided from the First Five Year Plan which are still continuing.

The First Plan recommended that a positive policy of assisting the tribes should be formulated in order to develop their natural resources and evolve a productive life which can prevent exploitation by more organised economic forces. In the Second Plan it was emphasised that all welfare programmes should be made in the contact of tribal culture after reviewing their psychological and economic problems.

In the Third Plan, it was accepted in principle that in facilitating the development of agriculture, communication, health and education services, the tribal people should be enable to develop their own traditional wits and culture without pressure or imposition from outside. Under the Fourth Plan six pilot projects for Tribal Development known as Tribal Development Agencies were taken up in central sector.

The Fifth Plan period saw the emergence of the Tribal Sub- plan strategy in the country at massive development of tribal areas and the tribal people. Sixth Plan to Tenth Plan envisaged pooling of all available fiscal and personal resources and making use of them for a total integrated effort.

**Contents and Sample Pages**