The Union Budget 2026-27 allocates ₹13,687.59 crore to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and ₹15,421.97 crore to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Both amounts are slightly higher than last year’s estimates, with Social Justice climbing 0.56% and Tribal Affairs rising 3.32% compared to the Budget Estimates for 2025-26. Compared to Revised Estimates (RE) of the current fiscal, allocations jump 16.69% for Social Justice and 42.47% for Tribal Affairs. The increases aim to boost scholarships and welfare schemes for marginalized groups like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, Denotified Tribes, and Economically Weaker Sections. Notably, the Social Justice Department’s SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified Tribes) fund rose over 64%, from ₹61.56 crore to ₹101 crore. The Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana for senior citizens got nearly ₹100 crore more, while post-matric scholarships for SC students climbed by ₹360 crore. Scholarships for OBCs, DNTs, and Extremely Backward Classes received an ₹820 crore boost. The Tribal Affairs Ministry increased the allocation for the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) to ₹7,150.01 crore, up from ₹4,900 crore in the RE. Funding for pre- and post-matric scholarships for tribal students also saw a rise. These budget allocations aim to support education, employment, and housing schemes for marginalized Indian communities in 2026-27.