IMPLEMENTATION OF DHARTI AABA JANJATIYA GRAM UKARSH ABHIYAN

1. At a Glance

• DAJGUA is a centrally-driven convergence mission to saturate infrastructure, health, education, Anganwadi, and livelihood gaps in tribal-majority villages across India [S1][S2].
• Comprises 25 interventions delivered by 17 line Ministries, anchored by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs [S1][S2].
• UPSC relevance: tribal welfare (Article 46, 5th & 6th Schedules), cooperative federalism, scheme convergence model, PVTG coverage [S1].

2. Why in the News

• Implementation status placed on record of Rajya Sabha (unstarred question, 1 April 2026) by MoS Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey detailing village/district/block coverage [S1].
• Follows PM Modi's launch on 2 October 2024 from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand (Gandhi Jayanti) [S2][S3].

3. Background & Evolution

• Announced in Union Budget 2024-25; Cabinet approval on 18 September 2024; launched 2 October 2024 [S3].
• Named after Bhagwan Birsa Munda ("Dharti Aaba" = Father of the Earth) [S2].
• Builds on and runs alongside PM-JANMAN (2023) which targeted Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) [S3].
• Implementation period: 2024-25 to 2028-29 (5 years) [S1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (coordinating); 17 line ministries execute interventions [S1].
• Coverage: 63,843 villages, 549 districts, 2,911 blocks, 30 States/UTs [S1].
• Beneficiaries: ~5 crore+ tribal people [S2].
• Jharkhand share: 7,139 villages in 24 districts [S1].
• Outlay: ₹79,156 crore (Central: ₹56,333 cr; State: ₹22,823 cr) [S2].
• Interventions: 25, spanning infrastructure, health, education, Anganwadi, livelihood [S1][S2].
• Constitutional anchor: Article 46 (DPSP — promotion of SC/ST interests); 5th Schedule areas largely covered [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Social: Targets historically excluded Scheduled Tribes including PVTGs; saturation approach removes self-selection bias in benefit delivery [S1][S2].
• Administrative: Convergence model — single Abhiyan umbrella over schemes of 17 ministries (Jal Shakti, Rural Development, Health, Education, AYUSH, Power, Telecom, Skill, etc.); avoids siloed scheme overlap; monitored by MoTA [S1][S2].
• Economic: ₹79,156 cr 5-year outlay; livelihood interventions (TRIFED tribal marketing centres, vocational skilling, FRA-linked land productivity) aim to formalise tribal economies [S2].
• Federal / Cooperative Federalism: State share ₹22,823 cr mandates State buy-in; aligns with Aspirational Blocks Programme overlay [S2].
• Constitutional / Legal: Reinforces Article 46, 5th Schedule, and Forest Rights Act 2006 implementation through livelihood pillar [S1].
• Governance: Saturation-of-villages philosophy mirrors PM Gati Shakti / Aspirational Districts template — outcome-based, PMU-monitored [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 18 Sept 2024: Union Cabinet approval [S3].
• 2 Oct 2024: PM Modi launches DAJGUA from Hazaribagh, alongside projects worth ₹80,000 crore [S2][S3].
• 2025: MoTA convenes consultative workshop with line ministries on convergence-driven livelihood frameworks under DAJGUA [S3].
• 1 April 2026: Rajya Sabha reply confirms coverage numbers and Jharkhand allocation [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• DAJGUA launched on 2 October 2024 (Gandhi Jayanti) from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand [S2].
• "Dharti Aaba" refers to Birsa Munda [S2].
• Comprises 25 interventions by 17 line ministries — coordinator is Ministry of Tribal Affairs [S1].
• Total outlay: ₹79,156 crore (Centre ₹56,333 cr + State ₹22,823 cr) [S2].
• Covers 63,843 villages, 549 districts, 2,911 blocks in 30 States/UTs [S1].
• Implementation period: FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 [S1].
• Jharkhand component: 7,139 villages across 24 districts [S1].
• Approximately 5 crore+ tribal beneficiaries [S2].
• Cabinet approval: 18 September 2024 [S3].
• Distinct from PM-JANMAN (2023) which targets PVTGs only [S3].
• Constitutional anchor in Article 46 (DPSP) [S1].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections (STs); governance & convergence; centre-state relations.
• GS-III: Inclusive growth, rural infrastructure.
• Possible stems: 1. "Examine how DAJGUA's convergence model addresses the structural exclusion of Scheduled Tribes. (15 marks)" 2. "Differentiate DAJGUA from PM-JANMAN. To what extent do these schemes operationalise Article 46?" 3. "Saturation-based tribal welfare assumes administrative coordination across 17 ministries. Discuss the implementation bottlenecks."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• PM-JANMAN — PVTG-focused predecessor scheme.
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 — livelihood linkage in DAJGUA.
• 5th & 6th Schedules — constitutional administration of tribal areas.
• TRIFED & Van Dhan Kendras — marketing intervention under DAJGUA.
• Aspirational Blocks Programme — overlapping geography.
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) — education pillar.
• PESA Act, 1996 — local self-governance in Schedule V areas.
• Article 244, 275(1) grants — fiscal channel for tribal development.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• DAJGUA ≠ PM-JANMAN — JANMAN targets PVTGs; DAJGUA targets all ST-majority villages [S3].
• Nodal ministry is Tribal Affairs, not Rural Development, despite Rural Development being one of the 17 line ministries.
• Launch date is 2 Oct 2024, NOT 15 Nov (Janjatiya Gaurav Divas / Birsa Munda Jayanti) — though the scheme is named after Birsa Munda.
• Coverage figure is 63,843 villages (not "63,000" or "65,000"); blocks 2,911; districts 549.
• Outlay ₹79,156 cr is total (Centre + State), not Centre-only.

11. Sources

• [S1] IMPLEMENTATION OF DHARTI AABA JANJATIYA GRAM UKARSH ABHIYAN — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2247601 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] PM launches Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2061196 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] Launch of DAJGUA / Cabinet approval & PMJUGA convergence — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2130598 ; https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2150185 — (tier: 1)