Thiruvananthapuram, June 29 -- The UDF government, in its recent budget, has announced a new tribal university in Wayanad, a special housing scheme for SC/ST communities and special job recruitment drives. HT spoke to KA Thulasi, first-time MLA and debut minister in charge of welfare of backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, about these promises and more. Excerpts:

You have completed a month as minister in charge of the welfare of backward classes/scheduled caste/scheduled tribe department. What have been your learnings and challenges associated with the department?

This is a department that deals with delivering public services in a time-bound manner to the people at the grassroots level, especially ordinary sections ...