Empowerment for the tribal community essentially entails the right to their very ethic identity. In this context, discuss how tribal community can be empowered while preserving their identity. Also, highlight the various steps taken by the government in this direction.

The tribal community in India amounts to 8.6% of its population (Census 2011). However, they continue to live in precarious conditions, with concerns of empowerment being at odds with their ethnic identity.

Need for Empowerment - 40.6% of tribals live below poverty line (20% national average) - Literacy rate is a mage 410% - Health related causes of susceptibility to communi - cable disease

In this context, India follows the Tribal Panelshell model for their development which takes into consideration their ethnic uniqueness:

1. Tribal to be developed according to their own genius.

2. Training and empowering tribal cadres itself for development.

3. No overwhelming of tribal populace with schemes and policies.

4. Cultural & tribal rights to be protected.

5. Statistics is not to be the benchmark for development, rather the lives touched.

In this way an integrated approach is used to empower tribal.

Steps taken: Tribal Subplan has been developed for overall empowerment.

2. Health - Succulenta postal launched for monitoring tribal health - Mobile health was initiated for last mile connectivity.

## 3. Education

## 4. Economic

## 5. Political

Thus, tribals are being empowered through interventions across the spectrum.