Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PMJUGA)

Overview

Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PMJUGA) is the largest tribal development programme in India’s history, approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024 and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2024 from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The scheme aims to achieve comprehensive, saturation-level development of tribal villages through convergence of 25 interventions across 17 line ministries.

With a massive financial outlay of ₹79,156 crore (Central share: ₹56,333 crore; State share: ₹22,823 crore), PMJUGA covers 63,000+ tribal villages across 549 districts and 2,740 blocks in 30 States and UTs, benefiting over 5 crore tribal people — roughly half of India’s entire tribal population. The scheme was later renamed Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) in some budget documents.

Key Targets and Objectives

Housing

• 20 lakh pucca houses for tribal families under PM Awas Yojana convergence

Infrastructure

• 25,000 km of roads to connect remote tribal villages
• Off-grid solar power for unelectrified hamlets
• Piped drinking water through Jal Jeevan Mission convergence
• 5,000 tribal villages to receive broadband connectivity under BharatNet

Healthcare

• 1,000 mobile medical units for doorstep healthcare
• 2,000 new Anganwadi centres + 6,000 upgraded to “Saksham” Anganwadis (total 8,000)
• Sickle cell disease screening and treatment facilities
• TB and malaria elimination campaigns

Education

• 1,000 new hostels for tribal students
• Upgradation of tribal schools
• Convergence with Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

Economic Empowerment

• 22 lakh Forest Rights Act (FRA) patta holders to be supported with livelihood linkages
• 100 Tribal Multi-purpose Marketing Centres (TMMCs) for marketing tribal produce
• 1,000 homestays for tribal tourism (₹5 lakh for new construction; ₹3 lakh for renovation)

Implementation Framework

• PM Gati Shakti Portal used for mapping, planning, and monitoring all interventions
• Special focus on Aspirational Blocks (identified under the Aspirational Blocks Programme)
• 17 Ministries coordinate through a convergence framework — MoTA as the nodal ministry
• Time-bound execution through Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST)
• Village-level saturation approach — every tribal village to receive all 25 interventions

Budget Allocation (2025-26)

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs received ₹14,925.81 crore in Budget 2025-26 — a 45.79% increase from the previous year. Within this, the allocation for DA-JGUA/PMJUGA was raised fourfold from ₹500 crore to ₹2,000 crore.

Latest Developments

• October 2, 2024: PMJUGA launched by PM Modi from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand
• Budget 2025-26: Ministry of Tribal Affairs allocation increased by 45.79% to ₹14,925.81 crore; PMJUGA component raised fourfold to ₹2,000 crore
• As of mid-2025: Over 5 crore tribal citizens reached across 63,000 villages since launch
• 8,000 Anganwadi centres — including 6,000 upgradations to Saksham Anganwadis — being established
• BharatNet convergence: 5,000 tribal villages to receive broadband connectivity
• May 2025: 18 states participated in PM-JANMAN summit at New Delhi for “Viksit Gaon, Viksit Bharat” — coordination with PMJUGA interventions discussed
• Renamed as Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) in Union Budget 2025-26 documents

Prelims Importance

• PMJUGA is the largest tribal development programme in India’s history
• Launched on October 2, 2024 (Gandhi Jayanti) from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand
• Total outlay: ₹79,156 crore (Centre ₹56,333 crore + State ₹22,823 crore)
• Covers 63,000 villages, 549 districts, 2,740 blocks, 30 States/UTs
• Beneficiaries: 5+ crore tribal people (about half of India’s tribal population)
• 17 Ministries involved; 25 interventions
• Monitored through PM Gati Shakti Portal
• Later renamed as Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA)
• Budget 2025-26 allocation: ₹2,000 crore (4x increase from ₹500 crore)
• Ministry: Tribal Affairs

Mains and Interview Importance

GS Paper 2 — Social Justice, Governance, Tribal Welfare:

• Critically examine PMJUGA as a convergence-based model of tribal development. Does involving 17 ministries in 25 interventions lead to effective coordination or administrative overlap?
• Compare PMJUGA (for general tribal population) with PM-JANMAN (for PVTGs). How do the two schemes complement each other in addressing tribal deprivation?
• Discuss the role of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in PMJUGA’s economic empowerment component. How does land tenure security impact tribal livelihoods?

Interview Angle:

“PMJUGA has a massive outlay of ₹79,000+ crore covering 63,000 villages through 17 ministries. In your view, what is the biggest implementation challenge in such a large-scale convergence programme, and how would you address it?”

Sources: PIB, IBEF, DD News, Ministry of Tribal Affairs