UPSCpedia: Polipedia - National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation

• “ADIVASI SHIKSHA RRINN YOJANA”(ASRY) is a scheme of National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC)
• Under the Scheme, NSTFDC would provide loan at concessional rate of interest to the eligible Scheduled Tribes for pursuing higher professional and technical education including PhD. in India.
• A Scheduled Tribe  having annual family income upto Double the Poverty Line would be eligible.  The present limit is Rs. 39,500/- p.a. for rural areas and Rs. 54,500/- p.a. for the urban areas.
• Rate of Interest: 6% p.a. chargeable from the beneficiary.
• National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation has been set up in April, 2001  as a Government of India Company under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. 
• NSTFDC provides financial assistance at concessional rates of interest to STs for undertaking income generating activities and for procurement and marketing of minor forest produce and other tribal products.  The  financial assistance of NSTFDC is provided through its State level Channelising Agencies (SCAs), certain Public Sector Banks, certain Regional Rural Banks, National Cooperative Development Corporation(NCDC), etc.
• Other schemes of NSTFDC:

  Term loan scheme: 90% loan for units costing upto Rs. 10.00 lakhs. Interest chargeable from the beneficiaries on loan upto Rs. 5.00 lakhs is @6% p.a. and above Rs. 5.00 lakhs @8% p.a. 

  Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana: An exclusive concessional scheme for women.  90% loan for units costing upto Rs. 0.50 lakhs. Interest @ 4% p.a. is chargeable from the beneficiaries. 

  Micro Credit Scheme: Maximum loan per SHG is Rs. 5.00 lakhs subject to loan per member not exceeding Rs. 35,000/-.  Interest @ 6% p.a. is chargeable from SHGs.  Repeat loans permissible. 

  Self Help Groups(SHGs):  90% loan for units costing upto Rs. 25.00 lakhs subject to investment not exceeding Rs. 50,000/- per member. Rate of interest is 8% p.a. chargeable from the SHGs. 

  Scheme for Artisans trained by TRIFED:  90% loan for units costing upto Rs. 50,000/- for individuals and upto Rs. 5.00 lakhs for SHGs. Interest chargeable @ 4% p.a. for ST women and 6% p.a. for ST men. TRIFED assists in recovery of loan from the loanees to the extent of purchases made by TRIFED from such loanees. 

  Marketing Support Assistance: For procurement  and marketing of minor forest produce/ agricultural produce collected/grown and for related products / services by the Central/State Government owned agencies. Interest is charged @ 7%p.a. for undertaking such activities.