India is home to one of the largest tribal populations globally, constituting approximately 8.6 per cent of the total population. Despite constitutional protections and a range of targeted welfare programmes, Scheduled Tribes (STs) continue to experience multidimensional deprivation manifested in persistent poverty, poor health outcomes, low educational attainment, insecure livelihoods, and restricted access to productive resources. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 marked a paradigmatic shift towards an inclusive and sustainable development framework, guided by the principle of “leaving no one behind.” This paper critically examines the interface between tribal development and the SDGs in the Indian context through the lenses of political economy and indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing primarily on secondary data and policy analysis, the study assesses the relevance of the SDGs to tribal regions, identifies structural constraints, and evaluates institutional responses. The paper argues that unless SDGs are effectively localised through a rights-based, participatory, and culturally grounded approach, they risk perpetuating historical patterns of marginalisation. It concludes that tribal communities should be recognised not merely as beneficiaries but as indispensable actors in sustainable development, particularly with respect to ecological conservation and climate resilience.
Bhoskar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.