Impact of Government Schemes on Naiya Community: Benefits and Limitations

In this paper we examines the impact of key government schemes Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) on the Naiya, focusing on benefits and limitations. These schemes provide some economic support, housing, sanitation, healthcare, and educational opportunities, enhancing income, living conditions, and access to services. However, their impact is constrained by the Naiya’s non-ST status, which excludes them from ST-specific protections like the Forest Rights Act, bureaucratic inefficiencies, cultural barriers such as house abandonment after a death, and gender disparities limiting women’s participation.