CAPF AC 2022 Q53: Indian Polity – Social Justice & Vulnerable Sections
- (a) The Comprehensive Tribal Development Programme aims at land development activities, improvement of roof houses, infrastructure development and so on.
- (b) As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, villages in forests are provided with community rights.
- (c) The Special Area Development Programme aims at distribution of forest area produces to the tribals equitably.
- (d) The Special Central Assistance to Tribal Subplan provides dairy cows to tribal groups living below the poverty line.
Answer: (c) The Special Area Development Programme aims at distribution of forest area produces to the tribals equitably.
Explanation
Tribal welfare programmes
How to think: match each programme with what it is actually meant for.
A Special Area Development Programme develops the infrastructure of backward or hill areas: roads, water, schools and health centres.
It is not a scheme for sharing out forest produce.
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Tribal Development Programme: land development, housing, infrastructure | Accepted as true |
| Forest Rights Act, 2006: villages in forests get community rights | True |
| Special Area Development Programme: equitable distribution of forest produce to tribals | Not true |
| Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan: income-generating assets such as dairy cows for poor tribal families | Accepted as true |
Forest Rights Act, 2006: it recognises individual and community rights over forest land and minor forest produce.
The Gram Sabha starts the process of deciding the claims.
A caution: this key follows the published answer; the scheme details in statements (a) and (d) could not be checked against an official document.
Answer: (c).
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This describes the aims of the Comprehensive Tribal Development Programme correctly.
- (b) Incorrect. This is true: the Forest Rights Act, 2006 gives community rights to forest villages.
- (c) CORRECT. This is not true: a Special Area Development Programme builds infrastructure; it does not distribute forest produce.
- (d) Incorrect. Assistance under the Tribal Sub-Plan does fund income-generating assets for poor tribal families.
Key point
Forest Rights Act, 2006: individual and community forest rights, Gram Sabha as the starting authority. Tribal Sub-Plan (1974): funds in proportion to tribal population. Minor forest produce: MSP scheme and Van Dhan Yojana through TRIFED.
Remember
Area development = infrastructure, not forest produce.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every scheme with area in its name is about forests.
- Doubting the community rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
- Missing the words not true and marking a correct statement.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the Forest Rights Act statement is safely true. Among the rest, ask which one mismatches its name: an area development programme develops an area, it does not hand out produce.
Sources
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs — The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs — Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme: guidelines