The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is an Indian government ministry, an institution, established as the nodal agency for the overall policy, planning, and coordination of programmes for the development of Scheduled Tribes (STs). It was set up in 1999 after the bifurcation of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide a more focused approach toward the integrated socio-economic development of the STs, who are considered the most underprivileged section of Indian society. Before its formation, tribal affairs were handled by different ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs until September 1985.
The Ministry's functions are derived from the subjects allocated under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. Its mechanism involves tribal welfare planning, project formulation, and the implementation of schemes for social security, education, and economic empowerment. It is the administrative ministry for matters concerning Scheduled Areas and oversees the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, excluding the administration of criminal justice.
MoTA connects directly to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), which was created through a constitutional amendment in 2003 by splitting the erstwhile commission for SCs and STs. A significant change occurred when the subject of rights of forest-dwelling STs on forest lands was allocated to MoTA by amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, making it the nodal agency for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Recent initiatives include the expansion of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and the launch of the PM-JANMAN scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).