Tribal communities' identity is rooted in their culture and deep connection with nature, but as societies modernize, tribal cultures tend to fade away.
The Central government's developmental projects for tribal people often lack consideration for tribal cultures, focusing solely on development-driven indicators.
The Odisha government introduced the Special Development Councils (SDCs) initiative in 2017 to preserve, promote, and popularize tribal culture while ensuring economic development in tribal regions.
The SDCs initiative covers 62 tribes in Odisha and focuses on promoting tribal languages, conserving sacred groves, supporting tribal artisans, and facilitating knowledge transfer.
The SDCs is a state-funded program that factors in the cultural context, giving autonomy to the Council Fund for project implementation.
The SDC model includes small tribal groups in decision-making processes, addressing intra-tribal majoritarianism and ensuring true representation of the community.
The vision of inclusive growth and community-led development is an actionable strategy in Odisha's development model.
The success of the SDC model suggests that the Central government should consider similar culture-sensitive and inclusive approaches in tribal-dominated States like Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, and the north-east.
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