This paper introduces the problem of education and literacy in tribal community of Gujarat. This paper provides review of literature, discussions and some data comparisons of various government schemes and budgeted allocations. It concludes with some remedies and suggestions how an Individual besides the government can improve education and literacy rates in tribal community. 

Objective of this study are:

1. To study education and literacy status of tribals in Gujarat

2. To study various schemes related to education for tribals in Gujarat .

3. To study budgeted allocation for education for tribals in Gujarat .

4. To identify problems related to education of tribals in Gujarat .

5. To provide for remedies for education of tribals in Gujarat.

Thakur (2009) :Tribal communities are regarded as among the most economically, socially, and physically disadvantaged groups. When compared to their male peers, women in these social groups experience the worst living conditions. It addressed the position of women, asserting that although people are two distinct human beings brought up in distinct genders, both are equally important, women are consistently treated as the weaker and secondary segment of society, necessitating a variety of means and measures to improve their status. Further thought needs to be given to this marginalized, oppressed, and disadvantaged group of people, especially tribal women.

Rani et al. (2011): The study on select Educational Statistics, published by the National Statistical Office, Ministry of Herd, Government of India, New Delhi, 2007, as well as university grants commission reports from New Delhi, Survey of India from 2001, and other sources were used to aggregate the data. It has been found that education helps women develop their sense of self, their capacity for independence, and their capacity for leadership.

Arya & Chauhan (2012): Tribal societies' perspective upon educational development ignores certain drawbacks that are unique to the tribal population. For instance, tribal regions have not benefited from the government's population and length norms as a result of their sparse population and sporadic residential patterns. Additionally, neither the tribal welfare nor education departments have ever developed programs or policies for tribal education due to the complex nature of tribal life and the expectations that tribal people have of the system.

Ashwini Deshpande & Smriti Sharma (2015) :This study has found a number of drawbacks in India, including caste and gender, which are both considered to be social stratification factors. Women and girls from lower caste groups are more likely to experience inequalities especially in education, this is  one of many studies on how women have contributed to India's educational and economic growth. This study looked into the problems and barriers that women in India face. According to the report, major obstacles to empowerment and development include illiteracy, poverty, child marriage, and malnutrition.

V. Rajkumar Velusamy (2021) :Tribal people make up a significant portion of the population in India, but they remain far behind in terms of empowerment, employment, education, and other areas. The most important and crucial of these is education for tribal society.  They need special consideration when receiving an elementary education. The national and state governments have recently placed a high priority on raising their educational standards. Researchers and academicians have focused a lot of their attention on the tribal people's educational accessibility and inequality. The outcome, however, falls far short of what was anticipated. Therefore, it is now important to give tribal education and inclusive growth serious consideration. The goal of the article was to use literature to investigate the current state and complex problems of tribal education in India.

According to the 2001 census, the overall literacy rate is 64.8 percent, whereas it is 47.1 percent among schedule tribes. When all states and union territories are considered, Gujarat ranks 17th out of 35. However, Gujarat ranks 19th out of 30 states/UTs in terms of literacy rate among scheduled tribes. Thus, tribal communities in India as a whole, and in Gujarat State in particular, lag behind their counterparts in other States/UTs and other Gujarat communities. The literacy rate today is on the rise, but concurrently, the gap between the literacy rates of tribal people and non-tribal people is widening, which is quite worrying for all of us. The disparity is still as much as 22% even now. For instance, whereas the literacy rate for the general population in Gujarat reached 69.14 percent according to the 2001 census, the figure for tribal people was 47.74 percent, representing a significant gap of 21.40 percent.

Under the tribal development commissioner, there have been several additional and specialarrangement for education in tribal areas. Since, 1953Ashramshala scheme is functional, in 2020-21 70006 students benefited from Ashramashalas. 10113 students benefited from extended Ashramshalas. 8505 students benefited from Post Basic Schools. 3625 students benefited from Post Basic Higher Secondary Schools. Besides there are schemes of LLGRS, Adarsh Nivasi Shala (Model Schools), Eklavya Model School, Sainik School, etc. For residential facilities there is a scheme of Hostels (GIA) and Samaras Hostels. There is also innovative theme based schemes.

It was also specifically observed that effective literacy rate among female in 2001census was found to be less than 30 percent. The least literate women are to be found in following districts. (1) Amirgadh and Danta Talukas of Banaskantha District (2) Khedbrahma Taluka of Sabarkantha District (3) Ghoghamba Taluka of Panchmahal District (4) Garbada, Dahod, Devgadhbaria and Dhanpur Talukas of Dahod District (5) Chhota Udepur and KanwatTalukas of Chhota Udepur District and (6) Kaprada Taluka of Valsad District.

The establishment of girls hostels, girls schools, model residential schools, post-basic schools, primary schools, ashramshalas for girls, and eklavya residential school are just a few of the steps the government will need to take to increase the literacy rate among women in these 11 talukas. These steps are also intended to draw more women into these schools and hostels. As a result, the government already reimburses tribal girls' college tuition at self-financing institutions. However, moving forward, the government should also think about paying those institutions' dorm fees as well. We summarize actions taken during previously completed plans as below.

In Gujarat State, there are 14.76 percent of tribal people, but 17.10 percent of them receive primary education, 12.53% of them receive secondary education, and 14.68% of them enroll in the arts stream, 3.07 percent in the commerce stream, 7.20 percent in the science stream, and 10.85% enroll in vocational courses. The rate is below 1% in higher education.

Education has the power to eradicate exploitation, quell superstition, increase awareness, etc. Therefore, there have been numerous movements in indigenous communities to educate oneself.  However, poverty makes it impossible to pursue a degree. The greatest pollutant is poverty. Literacy is merely another coin's side. Stay in Eastern belt if you want to avoid being among the many individuals who live in poverty. Some suggestions to improve the situation are:

1. Lack of awareness among tribals

2. Poor economic conditions among tribals

3. Problems of migration for livelihood

4. Neglect of girl child/ deploying her services in household work

5. Lack of educational environment.

6. Lack of educational facilities in tribal areas

7. More wastage and stagnation in education

8. Difficulties in language (They usually use dialect)

9. Child Labour and economical conditions

10. Lack of Teaching Manpower in Tribal Areas

11. Lack of Infrastructure including class rooms, toilets, etc.

The tribal children are still not attending school as a result of these restrictions and issues.The non-formal education may be pertinent to their traditional way of life, which includes gathering small amounts of forest products, working in agriculture, hunting, fishing, caring for smaller siblings and grazing animals, and assisting parents when they migrate, among other activities. Additionally, it is difficult to get to school because of financial and/or economic issues, poor clothing, a lack of shoes, etc., and transportation issues.

However, the government is promoting education and literacy in tribal communities thru various programs, the individuals and NGOs shall also participate in improving such educational conditions. A few suggestions are listed below.

1. Volunteer: You can volunteer your time and skills to organizations working in the field of tribal education. Many NGOs and government initiatives welcome volunteers who can help with teaching, mentoring, organizing extracurricular activities, or providing career guidance.

2. Donate: Financial contributions can make a significant impact on tribal education. You can donate to NGOs, educational institutions, or government schemes that focus on improving educational opportunities for tribal students.

3. Spread Awareness: Raise awareness about the importance of tribal education among your friends, family, and social networks. Share information about government schemes, scholarships, and initiatives that support tribal students’ education.

4. Mentorship: Offer mentorship to tribal students by sharing your knowledge and experiences. Mentorship programs can provide guidance and support to students who may lack access to educational resources.

5. Advocacy: Advocate for policies and initiatives that promote equal access to quality education for tribal communities. You can engage with local authorities, policymakers, and community leaders to highlight the importance of investing in tribal education.

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3. Census of India 1961 to 2001 Series 5, Gujarat Special tables for schedule tribeDirector of Census operation, Gujarat

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