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File No. SS-AN-SWE-001 · A&N Islands UT Scheme · Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS)

AAJVS Welfare Programme for Primitive Tribal Groups

A direct-provisioning welfare programme run by the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS), an autonomous body chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of the islands — the Great Andamanese, Onges, Shompens and Jarawas. Support is tailored to each community's way of life rather than delivered as a uniform cash benefit: horticultural implements and clothing supplied to the Shompen on an exchange basis, free ration and clothing for the Onges and Great Andamanese, coconut plantation and horticulture development for Onges/Great Andamanese/Shompen, and medical aid extended to all these groups. The isolated Sentinelese, who maintain no contact with outsiders and are legally protected from any approach, are explicitly excluded from any direct programme — this is a policy of strict non-interference, not an administrative gap.

What this scheme offers

The islands' Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups — the Great Andamanese, Onges, Shompens and Jarawas — live in ways that vary enormously from each other, and AAJVS's welfare programme is built around that variation rather than a single one-size-fits-all benefit. The Shompen receive horticultural implements and clothing on an exchange basis, respecting their own economic practices rather than replacing them; the Onges and Great Andamanese receive free ration and clothing directly; coconut plantation and other horticulture development support has been extended to Onges, Great Andamanese and Shompen; and medical aid is extended to all of these groups. This is fundamentally different from a scheme someone applies for — it's a standing programme of direct provisioning, administered by AAJVS field teams rather than through an application counter. The isolated Sentinelese are not included in any of this, and that exclusion is a deliberate, legally-protected policy of non-contact, not a gap in coverage — India maintains a strict no-approach policy toward the Sentinelese specifically to protect them from outside contact.

Who is eligible

  • Member of a recognised Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Great Andamanese, Onges, Shompens, Jarawas) — provisioning is community-administered, not individually applied for.

Documents required

  • Not applicable — this is direct, community-level provisioning by AAJVS field teams, not an individual application process

How to apply

  1. This programme does not involve an individual application — support is provided directly to these communities through AAJVS's ongoing field presence and welfare activities.
  2. For questions about the programme's current activities or scope, contact AAJVS or the Directorate of Tribal Welfare directly rather than seeking an individual application process.

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