- Why in news
- On 11 February 2026, the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs told Rajya Sabha about PM-JUGA (launched as DAJGUA on 2 October 2024), its targets, interventions and outlay.
- What it is
- PM-JUGA, launched as Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, is a convergence scheme for tribal-majority villages. It closes gaps in infrastructure, health, education, Anganwadi access and livelihoods. Each participating ministry carries its own budget and targets.
- Launch
- Launched by the PM on 2 October 2024 as DAJGUA.
- Coverage
- Targets 63,843 tribal-majority villages in 549 districts, 2,911 blocks and 30 States/UTs, benefitting over 5 crore people in five years.
- Interventions
- 25 interventions implemented by 17 line ministries.
- Outlay
- Total outlay Rs 79,156 crore: Centre Rs 56,333 crore and States Rs 22,823 crore.
- Implementation
- Each ministry has its own budget and targets and implements its assigned intervention; the approach is saturation through convergence and outreach.
Don’t confuse with PM-JANMAN: A separate mission for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); PM-JUGA covers tribal-majority villages generally.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Convergence across 17 ministries fills infrastructure, health, education and livelihood gaps in one village-level plan.
- Reaches over 5 crore people in tribal areas, supporting inclusive development and the aim of saturation.
Problems
- Coordination among 17 ministries and State governments is hard, and delays in one intervention can stall others.
- Remote, forested tribal villages face connectivity, staff shortages and weak data for tracking saturation.
Way forward
- Use a common village-level dashboard with time-bound targets and social audits by Gram Sabhas.
- Fund State capacity and involve tribal communities in planning, in line with PESA and Forest Rights Act principles.
Put in your answer
PM-JUGA outlay: Total outlay Rs 79,156 crore, with Centre Rs 56,333 crore and States Rs 22,823 crore.
Convergence model: 25 interventions by 17 ministries show a convergence approach to saturation of services.
- 2020Mains GS4 · Q9Ethical dilemma on tribal backwardness, welfare schemes failing to reach tribal population
- 2026Mains GS2 · Q6Does India's tribal development policy reflect socially grounded, equity-based governance? Justify.
- 2018Mains GS1 · Q17Core strategies for aspirational districts; nature of convergence, collaboration, competition
- 2021Prelims Q84Which ministry is nodal agency for Forest Rights Act implementation nationally?
- 2026Prelims Q57Statements on Fifth Schedule, tribal tax exemptions, and Panchayat seat reservation for women
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan was launched as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan on 2 October 2024.
- 2.The Abhiyan is implemented solely by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which holds the entire budget.
- 3.The total outlay of the Abhiyan is borne entirely by the Central Government.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.PM-JUGA was launched as Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan on 2 October 2024.
True. Launched 2 October 2024 as DAJGUA.
2.The Abhiyan comprises 25 interventions implemented by 17 line ministries.
True. 25 interventions, 17 line ministries.
3.The Abhiyan is implemented solely by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which holds the entire budget.
False. Each concerned ministry has its own budget and targets and implements its assigned intervention.
4.The total outlay of Rs 79,156 crore is borne entirely by the Central Government.
False. Central share Rs 56,333 crore; State share Rs 22,823 crore.
5.The Abhiyan targets tribal-majority villages in 30 States/UTs over a five-year period.
True. 63,843 villages across 30 States/UTs, benefitting over 5 crore people in five years.
6.The Abhiyan aims at saturation of identified villages through convergence and outreach.
True. Its stated approach is saturation through convergence and outreach.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
10 marks · 150 words
The Rajya Sabha was informed that the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan targets 63,843 tribal-majority villages through 25 interventions run by 17 line ministries, with an outlay of Rs 79,156 crore. Examine the main provisions of the scheme and discuss the challenges of delivering development to tribal areas through ministry-wise convergence.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.