DHARTI ABA JANJATI GRAM UTKARSH ABHIYAN (DAJUGA)

“Empowerment, not assistance. Saturation, not selection.”
(A mission-mode scheme for total transformation of tribal villages)

🔷 Introduction: What is DAJUGA?

Let’s suppose there is a village—remote, tribal-majority, often forgotten in India’s growth story.
Now let’s say there is a government plan that says:

“We will not just help one person or one family—we will transform the entire village, in every way, and for every tribal household.”

That’s the essence of DAJUGA—a mission-mode scheme for saturation-based, holistic development of tribal villages.

🔷 Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Full Name	Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJUGA)
Earlier Name (as announced)	Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA)
Announced in	Union Budget 2024–25
Tenure	2024–25 to 2028–29 (5 Years)
Type	Mission-mode development initiative
Nodal Ministry	Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)

🔷 Objective: What is the Scheme Trying to Achieve?

The primary objective is to:

Bring sustainable, inclusive, and saturation-mode development to tribal-majority villages, with a focus on infrastructure, human development, and economic empowerment.

So, it’s not just about individual benefits, but about building entirely self-sufficient tribal communities.

🔷 Target Areas: Who are the Beneficiaries?

This scheme specifically targets:

• Tribal-majority villages with:
  • Population of 500 or more
  • At least 50% Scheduled Tribe (ST) residents
• Also includes villages in Aspirational Districts with:
  • At least 50 tribal people

So both population threshold and tribal concentration matter.

🔷 Implementation Framework

DAJUGA is not a standalone scheme, but a multi-ministerial convergence mission.

Feature	Description
Ministries Involved	17 Ministries work together
Total Interventions	25 key initiatives
Fund Source	Existing grants under DAPST (Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes)
Technology Support	Villages are mapped via PM GatiShakti Portal
Gap Analysis	Done via Antyodaya Mission tools
Monitoring	Real-time tracking through Dharti Aba Portal on GatiShakti platform
Recognition	Districts ranked monthly based on improvements in key indicators

🔷 Key Focus Areas and Goals

Now, let’s understand the scheme’s interventions into six major verticals:

🏘 Household and Community-Level Infrastructure

• Housing (Pucca Houses)
• Roads
• Tap Water Supply
• Homestays (to promote eco-tourism)
• TMMC (Tribal Market Management Centres)
• LPG Connections

🏥 Health and Nutrition

• Mobile Medical Units (MMUs)
• Centre of Care (CoC) for Sickle Cell Disease
• Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)
• Poshan Vatikas (Nutrition Gardens)
• Ayushman Bharat Health Cards

🎓 Education and Training

• Tribal Hostels
• Ashram Schools & Government Schools for STs
• Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) for adult skill training

⚡ Electrification

• On-grid Power Connections
• Off-grid Solar Connections
• Solar Rooftops for community institutions

💼 Economic Empowerment

• Support for FRA (Forest Rights Act):
  • IFR (Individual Forest Rights) / CFR (Community Forest Rights)
  • Capacity building + FRA Cells
• Support for:
  • Agriculture
  • Animal husbandry
  • Fisheries

📡 Digital & Physical Connectivity

• 4G Mobile Towers / Internet Access
• Digital Literacy Initiatives and Platforms

🔷 What Makes DAJUGA Different?

Let’s summarise what sets this scheme apart:

Feature	Uniqueness
Saturation Mode	No selective targeting: Every eligible tribal household is covered
Whole-of-Government Approach	17 Ministries act in convergence—one unified mission
Tech-Driven Monitoring	Uses GatiShakti portal and Dharti Aba dashboard
Performance-Based Ranking	Districts get ranked monthly to drive competition

🔚 Conclusion: Why DAJUGA Matters for UPSC?

• It showcases the next-generation governance model: mission-based + convergence + digital tracking
• It links to major themes in GS2 (Welfare Schemes, Governance, Vulnerable Sections) and GS3 (Inclusive Growth, Infrastructure)
• Highly relevant for Essay, Governance, and Tribal Issues topics