Launch of ''Indigenous Knowledge, Ancestral Places: Navigating Change in UNESCO Designated Sites''

• October 16, 2025

Source: UNESCO

UNESCO launched a flagship publication highlighting Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems and perspectives within UNESCO Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage sites.

The book, accompanied by an online resource, compiles 21 testimonials—environmental, cultural, philosophical, and intellectual expressions of Indigenous knowledge, values, practices, cosmologies, and governance systems. These accounts shine a light on the people who have intimately known, cared for, and evolved alongside some of the world’s most iconic sites for generations.  

Completion of Adi Sewa Parv – Historic Adoption of Tribal Village Vision 2030 in Tribal-Dominated Villages & Tolas

• October 03, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Government of India has declared 15th November 2024 to 15th November 2025 as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh.
As part of this historic celebration, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, envisaged as the world’s largest tribal grassroots leadership mission, reaching over 11.5 crore tribal citizens across 1 lakh villages & tolas in 30 States/UTs.

Key Features of the Tribal Village Vision 2030 Declaration:

Community-Led Development: Villagers actively participated in Transect Walks, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), and Gap Analysis to identify local needs and opportunities.

Village-Level Priorities: Each declaration outlines actionable goals in education, health, livelihood, social and financial inclusion, and infrastructure.

Integration with Government Schemes: Actions were mapped under PM JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan 2.0, and other central and state programmes.

Adi Yuva Fellowship & Adi Karmayogi Volunteers Launched to Empower Tribal Youth Across India

• September 23, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in partnership with the United Nations in India, today launched the Adi Yuva Fellowship and the Adi Karmayogi Volunteers Programme under the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, a flagship initiative envisioned as the world’s largest tribal grassroots leadership movement. It aims to directly engage 11 crore citizens across one lakh tribal-dominated villages in 550 districts of 30 States and Union Territories. Rooted in the principles of responsive, accountable, and citizen-centric governance, the Abhiyan seeks to transform governance into a people’s movement and serve as a foundation for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Adi Yuva Fellowship

The Adi Yuva Fellowship, supported by UN India, is a first-of-its-kind programme designed to empower tribal youth through structured learning, mentorship, and career development.

Adi Karmayogi Volunteers

The Adi Karmayogi Volunteers initiative, supported by UNFPA, will equip tribal youth to act as catalysts for grassroots change and strengthen last-mile service delivery in tribal regions.

Youth for Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan in IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NITs and Top Institutions

• September 22, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs formally inaugurated the Adi Karmayogi Student Chapters at prestigious institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NITs, and other top-class universities, marking the beginning of a nationwide youth-led movement to foster leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social development among tribal students. The Bhagwan Birsa Munda Cell at IIT Delhi will serve as the nodal hub for this pan-India programme. The objectives of the Student Chapters include: Empower Youth – Inspire students to become leaders, innovators, and social change agents. Foster Innovation & Technology – Encourage tech-driven and indigenous solutions for tribal development. Promote Entrepreneurship – Enable access to the â‚ą50 Crore Venture Capital Fund for tribal-led startups. Strengthen Education – Support EMRS and Ashram Schools through mentorship to reduce dropouts and improve learning outcomes. Village Development & Planning – Guide students in preparing SWOT analyses, Vision 2030 plans, and actionable development strategies, etc.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs Launches Beta Version of “Adi Sanskriti” – A Digital Learning Platform for Tribal Artforms

• September 10, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

Bridging tradition with technology, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs unveiled the Beta Version of Adi Sanskriti a pioneering digital learning platform for tribal artforms, preserving heritage, enabling livelihoods, and connecting India’s tribal communities with the world, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, during the National Conference on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan. The platform was formally launched by the Hon’ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, unveiling a new digital era for the preservation and promotion of tribal culture and heritage.

Adi Sanskriti is envisioned as the world’s first Digital University to preserve and promote the culture and traditional knowledge of tribal communities, and an online marketplace for the world to access products made by tribal artisans. The platform integrates three major components:

Adi Vishwavidyalaya (Digital Tribal Art Academy): Currently offering 45 immersive courses on tribal dance, painting, crafts, music, and folklore.
 
Adi Sampada (Socio-Cultural Repository): A collection of over 5,000 curated documents across five themes, covering paintings, dance, clothing & textiles, artefacts and livelihood.
Adi Haat (Online marketplace): Currently linked with TRIFED, this will evolve into a dedicated online marketplace for tribal artisans, enabling sustainable livelihoods and direct consumer access.

MoU signed between NSTFDC & Coal India to Empower 30,000 Tribal Students with Digital Learning, Mentorship & Better Infrastructure in EMRS

• September 09, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

In a landmark initiative, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Coal India Limited (CIL) have joined hands for the upgradation of infrastructure and capacity building in 76 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.

A MoU was signed on 09 September 2025 in New Delhi between CIL and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The objectives of the project are:

Bridging the digital divide: Establishment of computer labs to strengthen digital learning and open new opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Promoting menstrual health & hygiene: Enhanced retention and performance of girl students.

Career counselling & mentorship: Providing tribal students with access to guidance and opportunities at par with their urban counterparts.

Overall, more than 30,000 tribal students are expected to benefit from this initiative, marking a significant step towards inclusive, technology-driven, and holistic education for tribal youth.
 

National Conference on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan with Project Officers of Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) to Chart Future of Tribal Development

• September 08, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is organizing the National Conference on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan with Project Officers of Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) on 9–10 September 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Over two days, participants will deliberate on key flagship initiatives, including:

Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan: The world’s largest grassroots tribal leadership programme, mobilizing 20 lakh change leaders across 1 lakh villages to act as catalysts of social transformation.

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan: A convergence mission designed to saturate essential services, schemes, and infrastructure in tribal villages through coordinated planning.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN): A focused initiative to ensure housing, health, education, water, electrification, and livelihoods for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

Key Sessions and Knowledge Exchange

The conference agenda includes:

Discussions on the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and strengthening community forest governance.
State-level presentations on progress and innovations under PM-JANMAN.
Peer-to-peer learning sessions on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, highlighting grassroots leadership and community mobilization models.
Showcasing best practices in participatory village planning, digital inclusion, women’s leadership, and convergence-driven development.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs launches Beta Version of Adi Vaani – India’s 1st AI-Powered Translator for Tribal Languages Leading to Large Language Model

• September 01, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

In a landmark initiative towards inclusive tribal empowerment and linguistic preservation, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Beta Version of Adi Vaani, India’s first AI-powered translation platform for tribal languages. The launch event was organized at Samrasta Hall, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, as part of the celebrations of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (JJGV).

Adi Vaani https://adivaani.tribal.gov.in has been developed by a national consortium led by IIT Delhi. 

Key features include:

Real-time text and speech translation between Hindi, English and tribal languages
Interactive language learning modules for students and early learners
Digitization of folklore, oral traditions, and cultural heritage
Subtitled advisories and government messages, including health information and Prime Minister’s speeches, in tribal languages
Inclusive access to education, healthcare and governance in native languages

Cultural Mapping and Rural Heritage

• August 21, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

Till date, details of 4.84 lakh villages out of 6.5 lakh villages across India have been identified and uploaded on the MGMD portal. The State/UT-wise details are placed at Annexure-I.

The MGMD programme, through its comprehensive portal documents intangible cultural heritage components include:

• Linguistic diversity – local dialects, scripts, and language usage patterns.
• Oral traditions – folk tales, epics, proverbs, and community knowledge systems.
• Folklore and performing arts – music, dance, theatre forms, and ritual practices.
• Local festivals and fairs – religious, seasonal, and community-specific celebrations.

Preservation and Documentation of Endangered Folk Languages and Oral Traditions

• August 21, 2025

Source: Press Information Bureau

To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art & culture throughout the country, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in their member States.

These ZCCs also undertake documentation of vanishing art forms, folklores, oral traditions and practices in the form of audio, video and written materials. Documentation and digitization are ongoing processes.

Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme run by ZCCs is one such initiative where traditional masters train young disciples to ensure continuity of cultural knowledge which helps artistes, researchers and community bearers of traditions.

42 oral traditions have been documented viz. Rajasthan (17), West Bengal (9), Odisha (3), Punjab (2), Maharashtra (2), Gujarat (2), Bihar (1), Jharkhand (1), Manipur (1), Uttar Pradesh (1), Haryana (1), Goa (1) and UT of Jammu & Kashmir (1).