Social Welfare
Posted On:
22 JUL 2025 9:44AM
Key Takeaways
Introduction
"Development should be all-round, development should be all-pervasive, development should be all-inclusive," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his Independence Day speech in 2021. "Be it our coastal belt or the tribal region, these regions are going to turn into a major foundation for India's development in future."
A month later, in September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM JUGA) for the socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes in India.Also known as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, PM JUGA aims to benefit more than 5 crore tribal people—about half of India's tribal population—through comprehensive development initiatives. It is the largest tribal development program in India’s history.
Tribal Village Development Mission
Seventeen-line ministries are collaborating on PM JUGA. These ministries are implementing flagship schemes to bridge critical gaps in social infrastructure, healthcare, education and livelihoods in tribal-majority villages and Aspirational Districts.
The scheme covers tribal-majority villages (with a population of 500 or more, and at least 50% tribal residents as well as villages in Aspirational Districts with a tribal population of 50 or more).
The scheme has a budget of Rs. 79,156 crores, with the union government contributing Rs. 56,333 crores and state governments Rs. 22,823 crores. It aims to develop over 63,000 tribal-majority villages in remote and hard-to-reach areas in 549 districts, which covers about 71% of India’s districts.
The ministries that are implementing their flagship schemes are as follows:
Table 1 - PM JUGA Sector-wise Targets and Budget Allocation
Table 2 - State-wise Funding for PM JUGA
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated PM JUGA from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on October 2, 2024, he invoked Mahatma Gandhi's vision. "Gandhi ji believed that Bharat's development could only be achieved when the tribal community progressed rapidly," he said.
PM JUGA is rooted in Gandhian ideology. A year earlier, on November 15, 2023—celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas to commemorate tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda's birth—the prime minister had launched the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) for the holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
PM JUGA builds on the PM JANMAN scheme. While PM JANMAN focuses on improving living conditions for approximately 28 lakh individuals across 22,000 villages, the PM JUGA scheme has a broader mandate, targeting all Scheduled Tribes residing in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts.
PM JUGA is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, demonstrating India's commitment to tribal development that contributes to poverty eradication, environmental protection and the promotion of the well-being of the communities. The goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go together with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
SDG 3: Healthy Life and Dignified Ageing
Mobile Medical Units for primary health care in remote areas, Centre of Competence centres, Anganwadi centres, Poshan Vatikas
SDG 4: Universalisation of Access to Good Education
Hostels, ashrams, residential schools
SDG 8: Promotion of Economic Empowerment
Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres, tourist homestays, support for animal husbandry and pisciculture
SDG 9: Develop Enabling Infrastructure
Pucca houses, tap water supply, electricity, internet, LPG gas connections, roads, health insurance, primary healthcare centres, education, nutrition
Table 3 - PM JUGA Key Interventions & Progress Achieved as of June 14, 2025
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From Water Scarcity to Community Ownership: The Bairlutygudem Story
Bairlutygudem, a remote tribal village nestled in the forests of Andhra Pradesh's Nandyal district, exemplifies how government intervention can transform lives. Home to the Chenchus—a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group—and the Koya tribe, the village had long struggled with limited access to water and forest resources. For generations, women risked their lives walking through dangerous, wildlife-inhabited terrain to fetch water. Despite years of failed interventions, real change came only through the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Following this intervention, village women took leadership by forming a Village Water and Sanitation Committee, ensuring all 64 homes received tap connections. Trained local women now maintain water quality using Field Testing Kits, eliminating the dangerous daily treks through forests home to wildlife.
Photos (from left): Women walking miles to fetch water and a paradigm shift with JJM (Source: RWS&S department, Andhra Pradesh)
This transformation has fundamentally changed women's lives while establishing Bairlutygudem as a model of community ownership and sustainable development for other tribal villages to emulate.
As Prime Minister Modi emphasized during his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2024: "Our tribal population, though small, is scattered across remote locations throughout the country in tiny, isolated groups. The government is deeply committed to their well-being and development. Ensuring that government schemes reach every tribal family in remote villages, hills, and forests presents significant challenges, but we are determined to overcome every obstacle."
A Decade of Achievements
In February 2025 during Aadi Mahotsav, President of India Droupadi Murmu acknowledged the significant strides made over the past decade for tribal community development. She emphasized that "only when the tribal society progresses, our country will also progress in the true sense." This statement encapsulates the ministry's core philosophy of inclusive development.
Figure 1: President of India Droupadi Murmu with Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram at the Aadi Mahotsav in 2025, New Delhi
Inclusive development is the cornerstone of the ministry’s work. The ministry has also grown in scope and size to achieve it. From 2013-14 to 2025-26, the ministry’s budget has expanded by over 200% from Rs. 4,296 crores to Rs. 14,926, demonstrating the government's commitment to tribal welfare and embodying the vision of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas."
This increased investment is enabling the ministry to achieve the holistic development of marginalized tribal communities. The ministry has made significant progress in transforming tribal welfare through supporting NGOs, implementing the Forest Rights Act, 2006, supporting higher education for tribal children and youth, and celebrating and preserving tribal culture, among other initiatives.
Table 4 - Key Achievements of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Welfare Schemes
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: Celebrating Tribal Heritage
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs also works to preserve and promote tribal culture. Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated every November 15th on the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda (1874-1900) to honour tribal communities' contributions to the freedom struggle.
The 2024 celebration marked the historical tribal leader’s 150th birth anniversary with unprecedented participation—over 1 crore people joined virtually, and the prime minister attended the main event in Jamui, Bihar. The government sanctioned 11 Tribal Freedom Fighter Museums across 10 states and organized more than 46,000 activities nationwide covering education, health, livelihood, and culture from November 15-26, 2024.
Figure 2: Prime Minister Modi gave a floral tribute at the statue of Birsa Munda in the Parliament Complex, New Delhi, November 15, 2021
Conclusion
India's tribal development initiatives have been transformed through coordinated approaches that have achieved unprecedented scale and impact. The changes include a more than 200% budget increase over the past 11 years, the launch of India's largest tribal village development program, PM JUGA, benefiting more than 5 crore, and successful implementation of the Forest Rights Act, scholarship schemes for tribal empowerment, among others. The tribal affairs ministry and other line ministries are bridging historical gaps.
References
Press Information Bureau:
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2055996#:~:text=79%2C156%20crore,Janjati%20Adivasi%20Nyaya%20Maha%20Abhiyan
Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Guidelines of ‘Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0' - an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme: https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1847548
“Poshan Vatikas or Nutri-gardens- a key plank of the Poshan Abhiyaan to enable the right kind of nourishment”: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1912577
Poshan Vatikas or Nutri- gardens being set up across the country to provide easy and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs: https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1861686
BharatNet: Extending Internet Access, Expanding Rural Progress - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2123137#:~:text=A:%20BharatNet%20is%20primarily%20funded,is%20executing%20the%20BharatNet%20project?
Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna aims at transforming villages with significant tribal population into model village: https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1882862
PM launches Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand on 2nd October 2024, birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2061196
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: Celebrating Tribal Heritage: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2073246#:~:text=Along%20with%20the%20Dharti%20Aaba,Divas%20in%20Khunti%20District%2C%20Jharkhand
From the Margins to the Mainstream: A New Dawn for India’s Tribal Communities – https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?id=154651&NoteId=154651&ModuleId=3
The President of India Inaugurates Aadi Mahotsav – 2025: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2103858
Empowering Tribes Towards Viksit Bharat: A Historic Boost for Tribal Welfare in Union Budget 2025: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2098853
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools on occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1772011
Ministry of Tribal Affairs Bags Prestigious SKOCH Challenger Award for “Best Performance In E-Governance” & 3 Gold Awards for Its Initiatives: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1689177
M/o Tribal Affairs receives SKOCH Gold Award for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes”: https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=213355
Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags Award of Appreciation in the 18th CSI SIG eGovernance Awards 2020: https://tritribal.gov.in/MediaCoverage/News/News_55.pdf
M/o Tribal Affairs receives SKOCH Gold Award for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes”: https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=122325#:~:text=The%20capacity%20of%20tribal%20people,proper%20infrastructure%2C%20manpower%20and%20flexibility
Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Tribal Affairs: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1887716#:~:text=Scheduled%20Tribes%20(ST)%20constitute%20approximately,and%20culture%20as%20a%20priority
India Celebrates Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1772251
The President of India Inaugurates Aadi Mahotsav – 2025: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2103858
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi marks the commencement of 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebration of Bhagwan Birsa Munda on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2073608
Tribal Affairs Minister Sh. Arjun Munda inaugurates New Building complex for the Tribal Cultural Research & Training Mission (TRI) , Andhra Pradesh as part of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1746152
Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
State / UT wise overall population, ST population: https://tribal.nic.in/downloads/Statistics/STsStatisticalProfileAtaGlance_09072024.pdf
Performance Dashboard, Ministry of Tribal Affairs: https://dashboard.tribal.gov.in/
Dashboard, DAPST: https://stcmis.gov.in/Dashboard.aspx
SKOCH award on 16th January, 2021: https://adiprasaran.tribal.gov.in/Pages/Page14.aspx
Annual Reports, Ministry of Tribal Affairs: https://tribal.nic.in/Statistics.aspx
State-wise and Year-wise VDVK Sanctioning, Operational, Funds allotted and Disbursed details as on 28.02.2025: https://trifed.tribal.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-03/Status%20of%20VDVKs%20as%20on%2028.02.2025.pdf
Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (Manthan Shivir) September 2024: https://tribal.cg.gov.in/sites/default/files/pm-juga-guideline.pdf
Others:
Aspirational Districts Programme: https://www.niti.gov.in/aspirational-districts-programme
Mobile Medical Unit (MMUs): https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=1221&lid=188
About Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): https://nha.gov.in/PM-JAY
Framework for Implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s316026d60ff9b54410b3435b403afd226/uploads/2023/04/2023041112.pdf
Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Scheme Guidelines: https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-04/Swadesh%20Darshan%20%20Guideline%20Booklet.pdf
PM’s address at the laying of foundation stone, inauguration and dedication of various projects at Hazaribagh, Jharkhand: https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-address-at-the-laying-of-foundation-stone-inauguration-and-dedication-of-various-projects-at-hazaribagh-jharkhand/
Preservation of Tribal Languages: https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/182/AU2948_OVRinY.pdf?source=pqals
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ in New Delhi: https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1891100741911371882
Birsa Munda - The Great Hero of the Tribals: https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/orissareview/aug2004/engishPdf/Pages14-15.pdf
English rendering of PM's speech during Janjatiya Gaurav Divas programme in Jamui, Bihar: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2073609
TRI, Uttarakhand: https://triuttarakhand.in/about-us/
Sabka Vikas: https://www.mygov.in/campaigns/sabka-vikas/
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