In November 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi addressed the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of revered tribal leader and freedom fighter Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda, in Dediapada town of the tribal-dominated Narmada district in Gujarat.
- During the event, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 9,700 crore.
Exam Hints:
- What? PM Modi Addressed Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas
- Significance: To mark 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda
- Where? Dediapada, Narmada district, Gujarat
- Key Highlight: Inauguration and Laying of Foundation Stone of Several Development Projects
- Total Cost: Over Rs 9,700 crore
- Key Projects Inaugurated: 1 Lakh Grih Houses under PM-JANMAN and DA-JAGUA; 42 EMRS; 228 Multi-purpose Centres, flagging of 250 buses, among others
- Laid Foundation Stones for: 748 km-long new roads; 14 Tribal MMCs under DA-JAGUA and 50 new EMRSs.
Key Highlights of PM Modi’s Visit:
Key Dignitaries: Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat and Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat were present at the event.
Establishment of Govind Guru Chair : While addressing the event, PM Narendra Modi announced the establishment of Shri Govind Guru Chair for Tribal Language Promotion Centre (TLPC)at the Birsa Munda Tribal University in Gujarat.
- The new centre will study the dialects of tribal communities such as: Bhil, Gamit, Vasava, Garasia, Konkani, Santhanl, Rathwa, Nayak, Dabla, Chaudhary, Kokna, Kumbhi, Warli, and Dodia and preserve stories and songs associated with these communities.
Key Progress Made by GoI led Initiatives:
Increase in Tribal Enrolment: While addressing the event, PM Narendra Modi highlighted that over the last 6 years, GoI has allocated more than Rs 18,000 crore for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs), which led to 60% increase in tribal enrolment.
Dharti Aaba Tribal Village Utkarsh Abhiyan: He informed that more than 60,000 villages across the country have joined this campaign, bringing piped drinking water, telemedicine and community-led development plans.
Increase in MFP Items under MSP: He also mentioned that the number of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items under Minimum Support Price (MSP) increased from 20 to nearly 100, promoting Shri Anna, which directly benefits tribal farmers.
Key Projects:
Purpose: These projects aimed to uplift tribal communities and enhance infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.
1 Lakh Grih Houses: During his visit, PM Narendra Modi participated in the Grih Pravesh of 1 lakh houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JAGUA).
EMRS: He inaugurated 42 EMRS dedicated to tribal students for community-led activities, built at a cost of around Rs 1,900 crore.
Multipurpose Centres: He also inaugurated 228 multi-purpose centres that serve as hubs for community-based activities.
- In addition to these centers, he inaugurated the Competency Center at Assam Medical College (AMC) (in Dibrugarh, Assam); and the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) building in Imphal, Manipur for the preservation of tribal culture and heritage.
Flagging off 250 Buses: He also flagged off 250 buses for 14 tribal districts of Gujarat, aimed to enhance connectivity in tribal regions of the state.
Laid Foundation Stone: Apart from these projects, he laid the foundation stone for 748 kilometer (km)-long new roads to improve connectivity in tribal areas and 14 Tribal Multi-Marketing Centres (TMMCs) under DA-JAGUA to act as community hubs.
- He also laid the foundation stone of 50 new EMRSs estimated to be constructed at a cost of more than Rs 2,320 crore, strengthening the Government of India (GoI)’s commitment to providing quality education for tribal children.
About Gujarat:
Chief Minister (CM)- Bhupendrabhai Patel
Governor- Acharya Devvrat
Capital- Gandhinagar
National Park (NP)- Gir NP, Marine NP
