Grant-in-Aid to NGOs for Scheduled Tribes: Funds by Year 2026
· 2 min read · 8 official sources
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs sanctioned Rs 153.929 crore to voluntary organisations working for Scheduled Tribes in 2025-26 and Rs 175.314 crore in 2024-25, according to its scheme-wise sanction summary. The allocation for 2026-27 is Rs 200 crore. Year-wise allocations and sanctions since 2019-20 are below.
Scheme of Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for the Welfare of Scheduled Tribes: key numbers
Infographic
Allocation and sanctions by year, 2019-20 to 2025-26
Allocation and total sanctions under Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes in each financial year, from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs scheme-wise sanction order and financial summary pages.
| Year | Allocation (Rs crore) | Sanctioned (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 110.00 | 94.85 |
| 2020-21 | 60.00 | 59.66 |
| 2021-22 | 110.00 | 89.457 |
| 2022-23 | 110.00 | 109.250 |
| 2023-24 | 140.00 | 149.950 |
| 2024-25 | 160.00 | 175.314 |
| 2025-26 | 175.00 | 153.929 |
Source: tribal.nic.in, as on 31 March 2026
How an NGO gets a grant for tribal welfare work
What the numbers show
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs funds voluntary organisations that run schools, hostels, health centres and livelihood projects in tribal areas, generally paying up to 90% of the approved project cost. Its scheme-wise sanction summary shows Rs 153.929 crore sanctioned in 2025-26, against an allocation of Rs 175 crore. The year before, sanctions reached Rs 175.314 crore, the highest in the series.
The trend since 2019-20
Funding dipped sharply in 2020-21, when the allocation was cut to Rs 60 crore and Rs 59.66 crore was sanctioned. It recovered to Rs 89.457 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 109.250 crore in 2022-23. Since then sanctions have run close to or above the allocation: Rs 149.950 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 175.314 crore in 2024-25. In 2025-26 sanctions fell back below the allocation.
The allocation for 2026-27 has been raised to Rs 200 crore. By 18 October 2026, Rs 80.834 crore had been sanctioned, so the full-year figure is not yet known and is left out of the chart.
How the money is given
Grants go to individual projects, not to states. An organisation applies on the Ministry's NGO portal, the State or UT Tribal Welfare Department inspects the project, and the State committee sends its recommendation to the Ministry. Continuation into the next year is not automatic: pending utilisation certificates or poor inspection reports can stop further release.
What the figures do not tell you
The summary pages give money only. They do not show how many organisations or projects were funded, how many Scheduled Tribe students or patients were served, or how the money was split between states and sectors. The allocation column is the figure printed on the Ministry's page and may not match the budget estimate or revised estimate in Union Budget papers.
Where to check
The Ministry publishes a scheme-wise sanction order and financial summary for each year on tribal.nic.in, with the current year updated as sanctions are issued. Individual sanction orders for each organisation are also listed there.
Frequently asked questions
How much money does the government give NGOs for tribal welfare?
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs sanctioned Rs 153.929 crore under its grant-in-aid scheme for voluntary organisations in 2025-26, against an allocation of Rs 175 crore. In 2024-25 it sanctioned Rs 175.314 crore.
What is the budget for 2026-27?
The allocation for 2026-27 is Rs 200 crore, the highest in the years shown on the Ministry's sanction pages. Rs 80.834 crore had been sanctioned when the page was checked on 18 October 2026.
Can sanctions be higher than the allocation?
Yes. In 2023-24 the Ministry sanctioned Rs 149.950 crore against an allocation of Rs 140 crore, and in 2024-25 Rs 175.314 crore against Rs 160 crore. The allocation shown is the figure on the Ministry's summary page, which may differ from revised budget figures.
Which year had the lowest funding?
2020-21, when the allocation was Rs 60 crore and Rs 59.66 crore was sanctioned.
Can an individual get money under this scheme?
No. Only registered voluntary organisations with an NGO Darpan ID can apply. Scheduled Tribe families benefit from the schools, hostels, health and livelihood projects these organisations run.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Scheme of Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for the Welfare of Scheduled Tribes full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise1920.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2021.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2122.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2223.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2324.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2425.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2526.aspx)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/PFMS_SentionDtSchemewise2627.aspx)