Special Initiatives

Improving the lives and livelihoods of Denotified/Nomadic Tribes

BRLF constituted a subcommittee on DNT/NT chaired by Shri Girish Prabhune (BRLF EC member) to support and guide the organisation on DNT/NT activities. On the recommendations of the subcommittee, BRLF started a pilot project aimed at improving the lives and livelihood of 150 Pardhi households in Kurduwadi village of Solapur district of Maharashtra. The pilot project started in the month of September 2019 and was implemented by a dedicated team of 4 persons placed in the project location. After reviewing progress on September 8, 2020, the subcommittee decided to extend the project by an additional year while elaborating activities of the project. The BRLF team further developed the project activities, tentative budget, and operational mechanism for implementation of this pilot project for the year 2020-21. The second phase of the project started from December 1, 2020 for a period of one year. The total project budget for the year 2020-21 is INR 0.17 Cr.

The main objective of the program is to increase the reach of government welfare schemes and to address challenges in sectors such as education, health, nutrition and innovation in tribal areas, in order to ensure an integrated and focused approach to the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes population in a coordinated and planned manner. Keeping in mind our core competence in the field of CSO facilitation and screening, MoTA has appointed BRLF to carry out a rigorous screening process for shortlisting proposals from different parts of the country on various themes such as education, health and innovation.

Strengthening Civil Society Action for Transforming Lives of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh

BRLF implemented the European Union funded project “Strengthening Civil Society Action for Transforming Lives of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh”. The project aimed at transforming the lives and livelihoods of the PVTGs and Dalits of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand by:

Enhancing the quality of outcomes of the grassroots CSO intervention in the areas of water and clean energy in the wake of increasing climate change.

Building the capacities of CSOs in resource mobilisation, advocacy and policy dialogue.

Driving innovations in program content and strategy for improved climate resilience in the Water and Clean Energy Sector.

Coverage (Blocks and Districts)
The project was implemented in about 279 villages of 4 blocks in 3 districts of Madhya Pradesh and two blocks of 2 districts in Jharkhand.

UANAT Project

On September 29, 2020, BRLF entered into an MoU with Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL). Founded in 1993, UAIL is a 100% subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group Company Hindalco. The project aims at doubling the income of 15,000 small and marginal farmers residing in Kashipur block of Rayagada and Th. Rampur block of Kalahandi district. The integrated livelihood development project focuses on three sectors: Agriculture, Water, and Livestock.

Grant in Aid

BRLF provides funding support to a variety of projects across the breadth of the country, particularly in 10 states (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra) that form the Central Indian Tribal Belt. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that have a local presence, are selected through a multi-layered process adopted by BRLF to ensure that the desired results are produced through right strategies as well as great efforts.

BRLF provides funding support to CSOs either by inviting proposals through “Call for Proposals” or by entering into partnership with State Governments. Till date BRLF has announced two “Call for Proposals” for inviting proposals from the CSOs working in the Central Indian Tribal Belt. BRLF selects CSOs through a very rigorous and elaborate process which includes physical and financial due diligence followed by a field assessment of their work. The project proposals of the CSOs selected after the due diligence process, are presented before the Project Grantee and Selection Committee (PGSC) which is the apex level committee in BRLF responsible for awarding projects to CSOs.

At present, BRLF is having partnership with 57 CSOs for implementation of large-scale livelihood projects with an aim to uplift rural communities residing in the remotest part of the country.

Recent Research

The Research and Knowledge Vertical of BRLF received grant support from the Statistics and Documents Division of the MoTA to conduct an evaluation study of the scheme. Under this grant, we will explore the processes of the scheme and its impact on the state, VOs/NGOs and community capacities for addressing the health and educational needs of the Scheduled Tribes.

BRLF achieves its key outcomes through strategic engagement with CSOs. We engage actively with CSOs to reduce gaps in program outlays and outcomes through strengthening of democratic institutions of governance at the grassroots, improving quality of implementation of programmes, and scaling up successful models of interventions.

CSOs often struggle to find sufficient and long-term support for significant budget components like HR and operations which directly influence the efficiency and impact the quality of livelihood interventions. Our grant support and capacity building initiatives are geared to help them find opportunities to scale and integrate with large-scale government interventions.

BRLF also enables institutional partnerships between CSOs and state governments to help them leverage programmatic resources available for national and state level programmes and schemes for rural development and livelihoods.

As of March 2021, BRLF has committed R. 113.39 Cr (USD) toward CSO grants. Partners have leveraged a cumulative total of INR.2035.01 Cr. (USD) from government schemes and raised co-finance of R. 354.75 Cr (USD) from multiple donors.

This is a working paper on the status of agriculture in Bodoland. The Bodoland Territorial Region is an autonomous region in Assam. A high agricultural productivity characterises Bodoland for many crops. Accordingly, the authors analyse agricultural productivity by looking at the latest data on inputs (e.g. land, water, fertiliser, pest control, agricultural machinery, finance and labour) and outputs (types of crops, coverage and output). The role of agriculture is important for the community and is fully connected with its culture and economy. The paper also provides a series of recommendations for improving the agriculture in the region.

Bodoland is one of the areas in Assam with high agricultural productivity for many crops. But most of the area under crops (around 60 percent) is used for rice production. So, there is potential for increasing their production by increasing the area under other crops. Additionally, we can say that, by increasing the area under some other crops which enjoy good productivity and simultaneously increasing the productivity of some other crops, farmers in Bodoland can aspire to increase their income.
Bodoland’s agriculture is mostly rainfall-dependent. 29 percent of Bodoland’s GCA is irrigated. Although that is higher than the state average, it is far below the average irrigation coverage in the country. Also, most of it is done through Surface Irrigation and hence, the area does not have the problem of a declining water table. Which means, water-intensive crops can be produced here without being too concerned about sustainability. Beyond rice, it could target sugarcane production given there is a proper processing system for the crop.
Per hectare fertiliser consumption is low in Bodoland. Productivity of some crops could be increased by applying more fertilisers in a balanced way with proper irrigation systems in place so that the outcome of agricultural activities can be less dependent on the erratic nature of rainfall, especially in these times of climate change.

Call for Proposals – I dumm

BRLF has announced its first Call for Proposals on April 15, 2014 soliciting applications from civil society organisations for projects that seek to leverage vast resources from ongoing government flagship programs in the central Indian tribal belt. The brief of projects being implemented by BRLF is outlined in the below table:

S.No.	Name of the CSO Partner	Brief about the Project
1.	BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF)	BRLF is supporting “Adivasi Livelihood Project in Central India” which is being implemented by BAIF. The project will cover 30,200 households in 9 blocks of 7 districts of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
2.	Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSP-I)	“Enhancing Tribal Livelihoods through Integrated Planning and Implementation of Flagship Rural Livelihoods Activities’ is being implemented by AKRSPI with support from BRLF in 16 blocks of 10 districts of the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The project is covering a total of 23,700 households with a focus on 100% tribal households.
3.	Self- Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN)	The project “Jyotirgamaya (Light of development) livelihoods security for and building capacity among 16,000 tribal families in five districts of Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh” with SRIJAN covers 16,000 tribal households from 12 identified sub-districts falling under these five states.
4.	Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)	The project “Reaching the Last Mile: Strengthening Capacities in Tribal Areas” with FES covers 29,897 families of seven tribal blocks in six districts across Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
5.	PARHIT Consortium	It’s a project implemented by a consortium of four smaller CSO partners. “Ensuring food security and sustainable livelihood among Sahariya tribes through effective implementation of flagship programs in Gwalior-Chambal region” is a project focussing on 100% Sahariya community, which is a PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group). The project would cover 21,136 families from four identified sub-districts coming under the Madhya Pradesh state through various livelihood interventions.
6.	Social Education for Women’s Awareness (SEWA)	The project “Integrated Livelihood Support Project” would impact on 19,754 extremely poor rural households in 106 selected villages of Kolabira and Laikera blocks of Jharsuguda district and Kuchinda block of Sambalpur district.
7.	Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)	BRLF is supporting PRADAN in implementation of “Catalysing Large-scale Rural Transformation in Central Indian Adivasi Regions through Women Collectives”. The project was implemented in 15 blocks of 6 districts across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Rajasthan.
8.	Youth Council for Development Alternatives (YCDA)	The project named “Enabling Tribal Community of Boudh and Balangir Districts, Odisha” with YCDA aimed to enable the 17,660 tribal communities of Boudh and Balangir districts to get access to the government resources and schemes.
9.	Digambarpur Angikar (DA)	With Digambarpur Angikar, BRLF is working on “Socio-Economic Empowerment of Tribal People at Sandeshkhali I & II Blocks in North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal in order to improve the livelihood conditions of 11,000 poor households.
10.	Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation	The project “Natural Resources Development and Livelihood Promotion through Convergence” covers 12,000 households in 156 villages of Maharashtra.
11.	Rajarhat PRASARI	The project “Promoting sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing of households living in four blocks of Jalpaiguri district and one block in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal” would target to cover 11,000 households from 5 identified sub-districts falling under two districts of West Bengal. These families would be supported through various livelihood interventions from the ongoing programs and by leveraging resources from various government schemes.
12.	Vikas Sahyog Kendra (VSK)	With VSK, BRLF is working with 13,000 poor households covered under the project named “Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities and Entitlement Security in Manika and Chattarpur blocks of Palamu and Latehar districts of Jharkhand state”.
13.	Western Odisha NREGA Consortium (WONC)	The project titled “15,000 poor and marginalised families in 25 Gram Panchayats of Bolangir and Nuapada districts secure sustainable livelihood and food & nutrition security through sustainable agriculture and building strong self-help structures through convergence of different schemes and programmes of State and Central government”, is a consortium project being implemented by 7 CSO partners. It is focussed in two districts of Odisha covering 15,000 households from the seven identified sub-districts.
14.	Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CILI)	BRLF’s association with CILI has positively impacted the Mission 2020 programme of CInI that focuses on bringing 2,50,000 households irreversibly out of poverty with increased quality of life. Through ‘Mission 2020’, CILI aims to develop 45 tribal blocks as regional drivers for growth across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Odisha.

Bodoland is one of the areas in Assam with high agricultural productivity for many crops. But most of the area under crops (around 60 percent) is used for rice production. So, there is potential for increasing their production by increasing the area under other crops. Additionally, we can say that, by increasing the area under some other crops which enjoy good productivity and simultaneously increasing the productivity of some other crops, farmers in Bodoland can aspire to increase their income.
Bodoland’s agriculture is mostly rainfall-dependent. 29 percent of Bodoland’s GCA is irrigated. Although that is higher than the state average, it is far below the average irrigation coverage in the country. Also, most of it is done through Surface Irrigation and hence, the area does not have the problem of a declining water table. Which means, water-intensive crops can be produced here without being too concerned about sustainability. Beyond rice, it could target sugarcane production given there is a proper processing system for the crop.
Per hectare fertiliser consumption is low in Bodoland. Productivity of some crops could be increased by applying more fertilisers in a balanced way with proper irrigation systems in place so that the outcome of agricultural activities can be less dependent on the erratic nature of rainfall, especially in these times of climate change.

Call for Proposals – I dumm

S.No.	Name of the CSO Partner	Brief about the Project
1.	BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF)	BRLF is supporting “Adivasi Livelihood Project in Central India” which is being implemented by BAIF. The project will cover 30,200 households in 9 blocks of 7 districts of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
2.	Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSP-I)	“Enhancing Tribal Livelihoods through Integrated Planning and Implementation of Flagship Rural Livelihoods Activities’ is being implemented by AKRSPI with support from BRLF in 16 blocks of 10 districts of the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The project is covering a total of 23,700 households with a focus on 100% tribal households.
3.	Self- Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN)	The project “Jyotirgamaya (Light of development) livelihoods security for and building capacity among 16,000 tribal families in five districts of Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh” with SRIJAN covers 16,000 tribal households from 12 identified sub-districts falling under these five states.
4.	Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)	The project “Reaching the Last Mile: Strengthening Capacities in Tribal Areas” with FES covers 29,897 families of seven tribal blocks in six districts across Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
5.	PARHIT Consortium	It’s a project implemented by a consortium of four smaller CSO partners. “Ensuring food security and sustainable livelihood among Sahariya tribes through effective implementation of flagship programs in Gwalior-Chambal region” is a project focussing on 100% Sahariya community, which is a PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group). The project would cover 21,136 families from four identified sub-districts coming under the Madhya Pradesh state through various livelihood interventions.
6.	Social Education for Women’s Awareness (SEWA)	The project “Integrated Livelihood Support Project” would impact on 19,754 extremely poor rural households in 106 selected villages of Kolabira and Laikera blocks of Jharsuguda district and Kuchinda block of Sambalpur district.
7.	Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)	BRLF is supporting PRADAN in implementation of “Catalysing Large-scale Rural Transformation in Central Indian Adivasi Regions through Women Collectives”. The project was implemented in 15 blocks of 6 districts across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Rajasthan.
8.	Youth Council for Development Alternatives (YCDA)	The project named “Enabling Tribal Community of Boudh and Balangir Districts, Odisha” with YCDA aimed to enable the 17,660 tribal communities of Boudh and Balangir districts to get access to the government resources and schemes.
9.	Digambarpur Angikar (DA)	With Digambarpur Angikar, BRLF is working on “Socio-Economic Empowerment of Tribal People at Sandeshkhali I & II Blocks in North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal in order to improve the livelihood conditions of 11,000 poor households.
10.	Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation	The project “Natural Resources Development and Livelihood Promotion through Convergence” covers 12,000 households in 156 villages of Maharashtra.
11.	Rajarhat PRASARI	The project “Promoting sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing of households living in four blocks of Jalpaiguri district and one block in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal” would target to cover 11,000 households from 5 identified sub-districts falling under two districts of West Bengal. These families would be supported through various livelihood interventions from the ongoing programs and by leveraging resources from various government schemes.
12.	Vikas Sahyog Kendra (VSK)	With VSK, BRLF is working with 13,000 poor households covered under the project named “Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities and Entitlement Security in Manika and Chattarpur blocks of Palamu and Latehar districts of Jharkhand state”.
13.	Western Odisha NREGA Consortium (WONC)	The project titled “15,000 poor and marginalised families in 25 Gram Panchayats of Bolangir and Nuapada districts secure sustainable livelihood and food & nutrition security through sustainable agriculture and building strong self-help structures through convergence of different schemes and programmes of State and Central government”, is a consortium project being implemented by 7 CSO partners. It is focussed in two districts of Odisha covering 15,000 households from the seven identified sub-districts.
14.	Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CILI)	BRLF’s association with CILI has positively impacted the Mission 2020 programme of CInI that focuses on bringing 2,50,000 households irreversibly out of poverty with increased quality of life. Through ‘Mission 2020’, CILI aims to develop 45 tribal blocks as regional drivers for growth across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Odisha.

Bodoland is one of the areas in Assam with high agricultural productivity for many crops. But most of the area under crops (around 60 percent) is used for rice production. So, there is potential for increasing their production by increasing the area under other crops. Additionally, we can say that, by increasing the area under some other crops which enjoy good productivity and simultaneously increasing the productivity of some other crops, farmers in Bodoland can aspire to increase their income.
Bodoland’s agriculture is mostly rainfall-dependent. 29 percent of Bodoland’s GCA is irrigated. Although that is higher than the state average, it is far below the average irrigation coverage in the country. Also, most of it is done through Surface Irrigation and hence, the area does not have the problem of a declining water table. Which means, water-intensive crops can be produced here without being too concerned about sustainability. Beyond rice, it could target sugarcane production given there is a proper processing system for the crop.
Per hectare fertiliser consumption is low in Bodoland. Productivity of some crops could be increased by applying more fertilisers in a balanced way with proper irrigation systems in place so that the outcome of agricultural activities can be less dependent on the erratic nature of rainfall, especially in these times of climate change.

Call for Proposals – II

BRLF initiated its second Call for Proposals on September 12, 2017 and received a total 180 proposals. Out of the 180, only 10 projects were approved by the PGSC which are outlined in the below table:

S.No.	Name of the CSO Partner	Brief about the Project
1.	Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD)	CYSD through its project titled “Economic empowerment of tribal women in Koraput district of Odisha” targets to cover 9,650 households through various sets of livelihood interventions. The project is being implemented in 2 blocks of Koraput district of Odisha.
2.	Sambalpur Integrated Development Institute (SIDI)	This project “Enhancing livelihood opportunity and entitlement security” is being implemented by SIDI in 2 blocks of Sambalpur and Deogarh districts of Odisha to cover 8,500 households under different livelihood activities mainly focussing on land rights-based activities.
3.	Janasahajya	Janasahajya would cover 8,183 households in one block of Kalahandi district of Odisha through its project titled “Enhancing options for sustainable livelihoods”, which focuses on facilitating communities to get access to various Rights and Entitlements schemes available in the state.
4.	Ideal Development Agency (IDA)	“Empowerment, Economic and Ecological development of 8023 tribal households through community based natural resource management, convergence of government programs and improved governance” is a project implemented by IDA to bring sustainable changes in the lives of 8023 poor households residing in the one block of Keonjhar district of Odisha.
5.	Bundelkhand Development Alliances (BDA)	BDA is a consortium of three organisations working together to bring changes in the lives of 10,000 families through the project titled “Ensuring sustainable livelihood for tribal communities through Forest Rights Act and watershed-based development in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh”. This project is being implemented by the consortium in three blocks of Panna and Damoh districts of Madhya Pradesh.
6.	Gram Sudhar Samiti (GSS)	GSS through its project titled “Participatory action for sustainable livelihoods of tribals” is aiming to cover 9,000 households through a multi-dimensional approach. These families residing in one block of Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh will receive guidance and technical support from GSS as and when required.
7.	Shroffs Foundation Trust (SFT)	This project “Creating sustainable farm-based livelihoods through conservation of soil and water in the tribal areas of Chhotaudepur in Gujarat” is being implemented by SFT in order to improve the livelihood conditions of 11,608 tribal families by providing them sustainable market linkages.
8.	VAAGDHARA	Vaagdhara is working with 8,000 tribal households falling under 3 blocks of Banswara district of Rajasthan through the project named “Sustainable integrated development of tribal community in district Banswara”.
9.	Chhattisgarh Development Alliance (CDA)	CDA is an alliance of four organisations working in the remotest areas of Chhattisgarh. The project titled “Community action for climate resilience and sustainable livelihood” implemented by CDA covers 8080 households coming under four identified sub-districts of Balrampur, Bastar and Raigarh districts of Chhattisgarh.
10.	Samerth Charitable Trust	The project titled “Developing sustainable livelihood options for the tribal households in 41 Gram Panchayats of Bodla and Pandariya sub-districts in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh”, implemented by Samerth covers 8063 tribal households of Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh under various set of livelihood interventions.

BRLF Covid-19 Response

Introduction of low input cost non-pesticide based agriculture practices, with appropriate package of practices focusing on crops, which are better suited to the agro-ecology of the region such as millets and vegetables.

Establish a profitable value chain system for Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) and MINOR Forest Produce (MFP).

Scope of the Project

Enhance agriculture productivity and cropping intensity in two targeted blocks.

Implement the APC model in these two blocks, as an effective method to organise production systems and services of markets.

Augment water resources and improve the irrigation infrastructure in the targeted region to ensure availability of water throughout the year for irrigation.

Enhance livestock productivity through introduction of best rearing practices.