UPSC Articles
Katkari tribe generate income through Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana
Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-I – Culture & GS-II – Welfare schemes
In News:
- Katkari tribal youth from Shahpur in Maharashtra were in news recently for selling Giloy and other products online during lockdown.
- They received help under the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY).
- Giloy is an Ayurvedic herb that has been used and advocated in Indian medicine for ages.
Important value additions
Katkari tribe
- The Katkari are an Indian Tribe mostly belonging to the state of Maharashtra.
- Katkari is one of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- The Madia Gond and the Kolam are other tribal groups included in this group.
- Their vulnerability derives from their history as a nomadic, forest-dwelling people.
- They were listed by the British Raj under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.
- They are subjected to the stigma even to this day.
- Presently, the Katkari are a fragmented and very scattered community.
- They are highly dependent on others for their livelihoods.
- Most Katkari are landless workers.
The Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY)
- It was launched in 2018.
- The scheme is run by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
- It is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribals by harnessing the wealth of forest i.e. Van Dhan.
- The programme aims to tap into traditional knowledge & skill sets of tribals by adding technology & IT to upgrade it at each stage.
- The initiative shall provide enhanced livelihood to about 45 lakhs tribal gatherers in one year.
- Tribal community owned Minor Forest Produce (MFP)-centric multi-purpose Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (the Kendra) are set up.
- Essential Features of the PMVDY:
- The State Nodal Department will have the flexibility to appoint any State Implementing Agency / District Implementing Unit for implementation of the PMVDY in the State and District levels.
- The Kendras would act as common facility centres for procurement cum value addition to locally available MFPs.
- A typical Van Dhan Vikas Kendra shall constitute of 15 tribal Van Dhan Self Help Groups (SHG)
