In News:

In a landmark initiative for tribal inclusion, the Government of India has launched the Dharti AabaJanbhagidari Abhiyan (DAJA)—India’s largest-ever tribal outreach and empowerment campaign. The programme aims to ensure saturation of welfare schemes and promote tribal pride and participation, covering over 1 lakh tribal villages and PVTG habitations across 31 States and Union Territories.

What is DAJA?

• Full Name: Dharti AabaJanbhagidari Abhiyan — named in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, a revered tribal freedom fighter.
• Launched by: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
• Nature: A people-centric campaign focused on participatory governance and last-mile delivery of services among Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

Objectives of DAJA

• Saturate government welfare schemes across all tribal settlements.
• Empower over 5.5 crore tribal citizens through Janbhagidari (people’s participation).
• Preserve and promote tribal identity and cultural heritage, invoking the legacy of Birsa Munda.
• Strengthen last-mile governance through technological and administrative convergence.

Key Features:

Feature                                        Description

Geographic Coverage    -    1 lakh+ tribal villages, including remote PVTG habitations, across 31 States/UTs.

Scheme Integration    -     Converges services such as Aadhaar, Ayushman Bharat, PM Kisan, PM

                                              Ujjwala, Jan Dhan, pension schemes, and Forest Rights Act (FRA) claims.

Five Foundational Pillars        -

• Janbhagidari (people’s participation)
• Saturation of welfare benefits
• Cultural inclusion
• Convergence of schemes
• Last-mile delivery

Technology-Driven Monitoring       -     Use of real-time dashboards and data analytics for

                                                                        transparent tracking and reporting.

Cultural Revival                      -                            Celebrates tribal cuisines, folk arts, handicrafts, and oral traditions

                                                                        during outreach camps to reaffirm cultural identity.

Significance:

• Governance: Represents a shift toward targeted and integrated tribal welfare, reducing administrative fragmentation.
• Inclusion: PrioritisesPVTGs, often the most marginalised and underserved groups.
• Empowerment: Embeds a participatory model, aligning with the spirit of democratic decentralisation.
• Cultural Reaffirmation: Bridges the gap between development and cultural identity, crucial for tribal dignity and preservation.