President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said tribal people have made a lot of sacrifices to protect the motherland and its natural and cultural wealth, and urged others to learn from their example to achieve sustainable development.?

During an interaction with members of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu urged them to prioritise education, emphasising its utmost importance.

In a statement, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said the president expressed happiness at meeting representatives from all 75 PVTGs together and acknowledged that many of them had ventured out of their villages for the first time.?

She highlighted the government's efforts to support the PVTG community such as the provision of reserved seats in Eklavya Model Residential Schools and the National Fellowship and Overseas Scholarship Scheme.?President Murmu also encouraged PVTG women to avail benefit of various schemes, including the Tribal Women Empowerment Scheme.?

"The president said the people of the tribal society have made a lot of sacrifices to protect the motherland and its natural and cultural wealth. To achieve the goals of sustainable development, all of us can learn from the tribal society," the statement read.

Emphasising the significance of the Tribal Sub-Plan, the president noted that 41 ministries and departments allocate a portion of their budgets for the welfare of tribal communities, including PVTGs.?She expressed happiness over the launch of the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission aimed at fostering the development of PVTGs.

President Murmu also highlighted the importance of the campaign announced in the current budget to eradicate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.?She commended the recognition of talented individuals from tribal communities through conferring Padma Awards for their exceptional contributions across various fields.

"It is the duty as well as the aspiration of all citizens, especially the tribal people including PVTG, to ensure their development while maintaining their identity and safeguarding their existence," the president said. India recognizes 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) who are among the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the country.?

These PVTGs are identified based on specific criteria such as socioeconomic status, cultural distinctiveness, geographical isolation, and pre-agricultural level of technology.?The government provides special attention and targeted welfare measures to protect their unique identities and ensure their well-being, aiming to safeguard them from exploitation.