Content :
- PM JUGA – India’s Largest Tribal Village Development Scheme
- AI & Drone-Based Agricultural Transformation in India
PM JUGA – India’s Largest Tribal Village Development Scheme
Context & Significance
- Launched: October 2, 2024, from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
- Objective: All-round, all-inclusive development of over 63,000 tribal-majority villages, covering ~5 crore tribal people (≈50% of India’s ST population).
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in convergence with 17 line ministries.
- Total Budget: ₹79,156 crore
– Centre: ₹56,333 cr | States: ₹22,823 cr - Geographic Reach: 549 districts (~71% of Indian districts).
Relevance : GS 1(Society ), GS 2(Social Justice)
Coverage Criteria
- Villages with:
- ≥500 population with ≥50% tribal residents
- Villages in Aspirational Districts with ≥50 tribal residents
- Targets: Address critical gaps in housing, health, education, livelihood, connectivity, and governance.
Sectoral Interventions – Converging Flagship Schemes
| Sector | Target | Scheme |
| Housing | 20 lakh pucca houses | PM Awas Yojana – Gramin |
| Roads | 25,000 km rural roads | PM Gram Sadak Yojana |
| Healthcare | 1,000 mobile units | Ayushman Bharat Health Infra Mission |
| Electricity | 2.35 lakh households | Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme |
| LPG | 25 lakh connections | PM Ujjwala Yojana |
| Water | Piped water to all households | Jal Jeevan Mission |
| Education | 1,000 hostels, upgrade Ashrams | Samagra Shiksha |
| Digital Services | 5,000 villages | BharatNet, Digital India |
| Agriculture & FRA | Promote farming for title holders | DoAFW schemes |
| Skill Training | 1,000 VDVKs, 8,500 livestock groups | Jan Shikshan Sansthan, National Livestock Mission |
| Tourism | 1,000 tribal homestays | Swadesh Darshan |
| Nutrition | 8,000 Anganwadis, 700 Poshan Vatikas | Poshan Abhiyaan, National AYUSH Mission |
| Fisheries | 10,000 SHGs | PM Matsya Sampada Yojana |
| Health Insurance | All eligible ST households | PM Jan Arogya Yojana |
| Forest Rights | Expedited FRA implementation | Capacity building via Rashtriya Gram Swaraj |
Alignment with SDGs
- SDG 3: Mobile health units, Anganwadis, Poshan Vatikas
- SDG 4: Hostels, tribal schools, Ashram school upgrades
- SDG 8: Tribal marketing centres, tourism, pisciculture
- SDG 9: Roads, housing, digital infra, electricity, LPG, tap water
Case Study: Bairlutygudem, Andhra Pradesh
- Issue: Chronic water scarcity; dangerous treks through wildlife zones.
- Solution: Tap water via Jal Jeevan Mission.
- Outcome:
- Village Water & Sanitation Committee (all women-led) now maintains systems.
- Community ownership model replicated in other tribal hamlets.
Comparison: PM JUGA vs PM JANMAN
| Aspect | PM JANMAN | PM JUGA |
| Focus | PVTGs (~28 lakh people) | Broader ST population (~5 crore) |
| Villages | ~22,000 | ~63,000 |
| Start | Nov 2023 | Oct 2024 |
| Approach | Targeted to most vulnerable | Comprehensive tribal development |
Decade of Tribal Welfare: Key Achievements
| Parameter | Progress (till 2025) |
| FRA Titles | 23.88 lakh issued |
| Scholarships | 1.02 cr Post-Matric, 54.41 lakh Pre-Matric |
| EMRS Schools | 346 operational; 1.38 lakh enrolled |
| NGO Projects | 310 projects, 9.35 lakh beneficiaries |
| VDVKs | 4,465 sanctioned; 2,507 operational |
| TRIFED Expansion | 118 outlets; 3,069 empaneled suppliers |
| NSTFDC Loans | ₹383.18 cr sanctioned for 93,609 beneficiaries |
| Budget Rise | ₹4,296 cr (2013–14) → ₹14,926 cr (2025–26): +248% |
Cultural Empowerment
- Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: Nov 15 (Birsa Munda’s birthday)
- 2024: 150th anniversary; 1+ crore participation
- 46,000 events across India
- 11 Tribal Freedom Fighter Museums sanctioned
- TRIs: 9 new Tribal Research Institutes set up post-2014
Governance & Monitoring Framework
- Gram Sabha Empowerment:
- FRA claim processing
- Capacity-building of PRI members
- MIS & Dashboard: Real-time tracking of scheme implementation across ministries
- Convergence Model: PM JUGA as template for tribal mainstreaming in national programs
Critical Analysis
| Strengths | Gaps/Challenges |
| ✔ Largest integrated tribal development scheme in India’s history | ✘ Risk of implementation lag due to inter-ministerial coordination issues |
| ✔ Strong SDG alignment & outcome-based approach | ✘ Last-mile delivery in difficult terrains |
| ✔ Community ownership (e.g., water committees) | ✘ Continued vulnerability of PVTGs beyond infrastructure access |
| ✔ Convergence boosts cost-efficiency & accountability | ✘ Monitoring & audit transparency yet to be fully institutionalized |
| ✔ Combines economic, social, and ecological goals | ✘ Digitisation & e-services gaps in no-internet zones |
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
1. Who are PVTGs?
- Subset of Scheduled Tribes, most vulnerable and marginalized.
- Identified based on:
- Pre-agricultural level of technology
- Stagnant/declining population
- Extremely low literacy
- Subsistence-level economy
2. Key Facts
| Indicator | Value |
| Number of PVTGs in India | 75 |
| Total STs in India | ~10.45 crore (Census 2011) |
| Estimated PVTG population | ~28 lakh |
| States with highest PVTG presence | Odisha (13), Andhra Pradesh (12), Madhya Pradesh (7), Maharashtra (3), Jharkhand (8) |
| Ministry | Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) |
| PVTG-specific Scheme | PM-JANMAN (2023) |
Forest Rights Act, 2006 (Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act)
Purpose
Corrects historical injustice to forest-dwelling communities by recognizing their rights over forest land and resources.
Types of Rights Under FRA
| Right Type | Description |
| Individual Forest Rights (IFR) | Cultivation rights for STs on forest land |
| Community Forest Rights (CFR) | Rights to use and manage forest resources collectively |
| Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) | Governance rights over traditional forest territories |
| Habitat Rights (Section 3(1)(e)) | For PVTGs and nomadic tribes |
Conclusion
PM JUGA represents a paradigm shift in tribal development, leveraging convergence, data-driven planning, and culturally sensitive implementation. Backed by a decade of scaled-up investment, the scheme positions India as a global leader in inclusive, tribal-centric development.
AI & Drone-Based Agricultural Transformation in India
Policy Context & Relevance
- India is harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and drone technologies to revolutionize agriculture.
- The focus is on:
- Boosting crop productivity
- Enhancing resilience to climate change
- Empowering small/marginal farmers
- Ensuring precision farming and resource optimization
Relevance : GS 3(Agriculture , Technology)
Key AI-Driven Government Initiatives
(i) Kisan e-Mitra
- AI-powered voice chatbot for real-time farmer assistance.
- Handles >20,000 farmer queries per day; answered 95 lakh+ queries to date.
- Supports 11 regional languages.
- Initially focused on PM-Kisan, now scaling to cover other schemes.
(ii) National Pest Surveillance System
- Uses AI + ML + image recognition to detect 400+ pests across 61 crops.
- Helps farmers upload pest images for identification → promotes timely intervention.
- Utilized by 10,000+ extension workers, mitigating climate-linked crop loss.
(iii) Satellite-Based Crop Mapping
- Uses field photos + satellite data for crop-weather matching.
- Enables real-time monitoring of sown areas and crop health.
Drone Promotion: Financial Architecture under SMAM
– Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
- Objective: Encourage drone adoption via targeted subsidies for:
- Demonstration
- Individual ownership
- Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs)
| Beneficiary | Subsidy Rate | Max Limit |
| ICAR/KVKs/SAUs/PSUs | 100% | ₹10 lakhs |
| FPOs (for demo) | 75% | – |
| CHCs – Cooperatives, FPOs, Entrepreneurs | 40% | ₹4 lakhs |
| CHCs – Agri Graduates | 50% | ₹5 lakhs |
| Individual Ownership (SC/ST/Women/NE) | 50% | ₹5 lakhs |
| Other Farmers | 40% | ₹4 lakhs |
Namo Drone Didi: Women Empowerment via Drones
| Feature | Detail |
| Scheme Type | Central Sector |
| Time Frame | 2023–24 to 2025–26 |
| Budget | ₹1,261 crore |
| Target | 15,000 drones to Women SHGs |
| Subsidy | 80% (up to ₹8 lakhs); SHGs cover 20% (via AIF loans with 3% interest subvention) |
| Drones Distributed (2023–24) | 1,094 total (500 under Namo Drone Didi) |
| Aim | Enhance women-led agri-services, reduce operational costs, and provide livelihood alternatives |
State-Wise Drone Distribution (As of July 2025)
| State | SMAM | Namo Drone Didi | Total |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1475 | 96 | 1571 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 300 | 34 | 334 |
| Karnataka | 24 | 82 | 106 |
| Telangana | 0 | 72 | 72 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 158 | 32 | 190 |
| Maharashtra | 25 | 30 | 55 |
| Tamil Nadu | 10 | 17 | 27 |
| Punjab | 0 | 23 | 23 |
| Gujarat | 0 | 18 | 18 |
| Total | 2,122 | 500 | 2,622 |
Top States: AP, MP, UP, Karnataka, Telangana
Lagging States: Bihar (10), Assam (9), Nagaland (2), Manipur (4)
Critical Evaluation
| Strengths | Challenges |
| ✔ Multi-channel AI interventions | ✘ Limited AI literacy among farmers |
| ✔ Gender-focussed drone policy | ✘ Dependency on state-level implementation capacity |
| ✔ Real-time pest/crop health monitoring | ✘ Patchy broadband/internet connectivity in rural areas |
| ✔ Use of SHGs, FPOs, CHCs ensures decentralized access | ✘ Data privacy and misuse concerns from image/voice-based systems |
Conclusion
India’s push to integrate AI and drone tech in agriculture is a transformative leap toward precision farming, climate resilience, and inclusive agri-growth. From Kisan e-Mitra to Namo Drone Didi, these initiatives symbolize a convergence of Digital India, Skill India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat in the agri-sector.
