Revision summary
TSP earmarks plan funds for Scheduled Tribes in proportion to population. The objective is to stop Adivasis being leftovers of general development. It pairs with Schedule and PESA as rights-based integration. Elwin’s protection is recast as a budget shield. Leakage and elite capture remain the practical failure.
Model answer
Copper italics in this answer — like this — are the key facts. Each one is unpacked in the Facts & figures rail.
Introduction
The Tribal Sub-Plan’s main objective is to channel a dedicated share of public money to Scheduled Tribe areas and people, so general planning does not skip Adivasis. It is integration as budget, not as Ghurye’s Hinduisation.
Body
Objective
- TSP, from the Fifth Plan onward, earmarks funds in proportion to ST population for infrastructure, education, health, and livelihoods in tribal tracts.
- The aim is to close the development gap without treating tribe as a residual of the district plan.
- It sits with the Fifth Schedule and later PESA: money plus self-rule, in Elwin’s protective spirit recast as citizenship.
Why it was needed
- Mines, forests, and plains politics captured general schemes. Verrier Elwin’s warning about unfair contact became a fiscal problem.
- A small tribal elite could still take jobs while the majority stayed land-poor.
Limit
- Diversion of TSP funds and weak Gram Sabha control mean the objective is often missed on the ground.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD TSP[Tribal Sub-Plan] --> F[Earmarked funds] F --> G[Gap closure ST] D[Diversion] --> F
Conclusion
TSP’s main objective is protected, population-linked public investment for STs. It works only if funds reach land and school, not only line departments.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Discuss B.R. Ambedkar as a wise democrat.
Next question on this syllabus topic (2015 · Q7(a)). View answer →
-
Is TSP the same as reservation?
No. Reservation is posts and seats. TSP is development finance for communities and areas.
-
Does TSP stop displacement?
Not by itself. Land law and consent decide mines. TSP can at best rebuild after loss.
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
More from this topic
Q5(e) · UPSC Mains 2026 · Sociology GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution
Bring out the debates of 'insiders' and 'outsiders' approaches in understanding Indian society.
Perspectives on the study of Indian society
• The insider (emic) approach studies Indian society using native categories, sacred texts, and cultural immersion, championed by G.S. Ghurye and D.P. Mukerji. • Critics argue the insider view suffers from upper-caste bias and ignores ground realities in favor of normative texts. • The outsider (etic) approach applies universal models and comparative frameworks, famously used by Western scholars like Louis Dumont. • Critics dismiss the outsider view as orientalist reductionism that imposes Western concepts and misinterprets local idioms. • Modern Indian sociology bridges this binary through a reflexive methodology combining cultural familiarity with analytical rigor. • Ultimately, combining native insights with objective scrutiny is essential to capture India's complex social dynamics.
Q5(a) · UPSC Mains 2026 · Sociology GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution
Discuss the challenges faced by the aged people in receiving 'elder care'.
Perspectives on the study of Indian society
• India's aging population faces severe elder care challenges due to the breakdown of traditional joint families and youth out-migration. • Over 80% of seniors lack formal pensions because they worked in the informal sector, worsening financial vulnerability. • High out-of-pocket medical costs for chronic illnesses quickly drain meager personal savings. • Public hospitals suffer from an acute shortage of geriatric specialists, dedicated wards, and rehabilitation facilities. • Implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 remains weak, leaving legal tribunals overburdened. • Solutions require shifting from a welfare approach to a rights-based framework, combining community care networks with strict legal enforcement under Article 41.
Q4(c) · UPSC Mains 2026 · Sociology GS 2 · 10 marks · Solution
Compare G. S. Ghurye's and A. R. Desai's approaches used in understanding Indian society
Perspectives on the study of Indian society
• **Ghurye’s Indological Approach:** Relied on sacred texts and classical literature to study Indian society through civilizational continuity. • **Core Themes in Ghurye:** Focused on caste, kin, and how Hinduism historically integrated diverse tribal and regional groups. • **Desai’s Materialist Approach:** Rejected textual idealism in favor of Marxist political economy to study social structures. • **Economic Formations:** Analyzed Indian society through successive modes of production—ancient, feudal, and colonial capitalist. • **Caste vs. Class:** Viewed caste and religion as superstructural elements that mask underlying economic exploitation. • **Critique of State and Nationalism:** Argued that the nationalist movement was bourgeois, leaving agrarian inequalities intact post-independence. • **Key Contrast:** Ghurye highlights cultural tradition and integration, while Desai emphasizes economic power and class conflict.