PM Modi to mark Birsa Munda's 151st birth anniversary with Rs 3,000 crore tribal development push

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on November 15 mark the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, with a focus on strengthening education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities in tribal communities through 246 development projects worth around Rs 3,000 crore.

Modi will address the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra through video conferencing at 11 am.

The 246 projects include 173 inaugurations and several foundation stone-laying ceremonies. Among the major initiatives are 38 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal students and 100 Multi-Purpose Centres under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).

The programme will also see the inauguration of a Tribal Research Institute building in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Ropuiliani Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum in Aizawl, Mizoram. The museum commemorates Ropuiliani, a 19th-century Mizo chieftainess who resisted British colonial rule, and honours the sacrifices of Mizo tribal freedom fighters.

Foundation stones will also be laid for 19 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools and 12 Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres aimed at improving market access for tribal producers.

Another 42 projects will be taken up under PM-JANMAN and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

The programme will also mark the conclusion of the fortnight-long Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada, observed nationwide from November 1 to 15. The observance featured health and nutrition camps for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), training programmes for tribal healers, interactions with EMRS students, a National Tribal Literary Festival and community service initiatives in tribal villages.