NEW DELHI, October 3 — The Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Saturday released comprehensive implementation guidelines for the ₹79,156 crore 'Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan' (DAJGUA), operationalizing convergence frameworks across 17 central line ministries to saturate essential infrastructure across 63,843 tribal-majority villages nationwide.
According to the inter-ministerial operational matrix, the transformative campaign will directly benefit over 5 crore indigenous citizens residing in 549 districts across 30 states and Union Territories. The blueprint integrates 25 measurable interventions, encompassing all-weather macadamised road connectivity under PMGSY, functional tap water under Jal Jeevan Mission, solarized off-grid domestic power, Pucca housing allocations under PMAY-Gramin, decentralized health sub-centers, and broadband optical-fibre drops.
Ministry officials announced that commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of tribal freedom icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the scheme establishes 1,000 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and operationalizes dedicated multi-purpose tribal community marketing hubs linked to Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) to process non-timber forest produce (NTFP).
The policy architecture of the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission (PM-JANMAN), administrative powers under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Indian Constitution, the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 (PESA), and the Forest Rights Act 2006 (FRA) are central topics across UPSC Civil Services (GS-II: Social Justice & Tribal Governance) and State PSC examinations.