PM Modi unveils 246 tribal welfare projects on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually participated in the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda. During the programme, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 246 development projects worth approximately Rs 3,000 crore aimed at improving infrastructure and the quality of life in tribal communities across the country.
The projects cover key sectors, including education, healthcare, livelihood generation and community infrastructure, with a focus on improving access to essential services and promoting the overall development of tribal communities.Of the 246 projects, PM Modi inaugurated 173, including 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). These centres will serve as hubs for essential service delivery and community activities in tribal areas.Several other initiatives were also launched under PM-JANMAN and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).

Watch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Friends, on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas today, more than 170 projects related to tribal development have been inaugurated, and the foundation stones for more than 70 projects have been laid across various states..." https://t.co/3BdsyUsvv4

— IANS (@ians_india) November 15, 2026

Among the key projects inaugurated were the Tribal Research Institute building in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Ropuiliani Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum in Aizawl, Mizoram. The museum is dedicated to preserving tribal culture and heritage while highlighting the courage and sacrifices of Mizo freedom fighters.Named after the 19th-century Mizo chieftainess Ropuiliani, who resisted British colonial rule, the museum showcases the rich traditions and historical legacy of the Mizo people.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for 19 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools to expand access to quality education for tribal children. Additionally, he launched the construction of 12 Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres (TMMCs) to improve market access for tribal producers, along with 42 other projects under PM-JANMAN and DAJGUA.During the programme, Modi also interacted with beneficiaries of various Central government schemes related to tribal development and welfare.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who attended the event, thanked the Prime Minister for declaring November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021. He said the initiative had helped bring the contributions of tribal leaders and freedom fighters into the national spotlight."I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi for dedicating Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021. He had said that honouring tribal leaders is honouring India and that Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda's birth anniversary will be celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas across India," Fadnavis said.He also expressed gratitude to the Central government for selecting Gadchiroli to host this year's celebrations, highlighting the rich history and cultural heritage of tribal communities.Fadnavis said tribal communities had played a significant role in defending the country against attacks and resisting colonial rule, but many of their leaders had remained overlooked in history. He added that efforts were now being made to bring their contributions to wider public attention.

Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Honorable Prime Minister for Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, which the Prime Minister himself initiated in 2021, stating that honoring tribal heroes is honoring India itself, and that the birth anniversary of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda would be celebrated across the entire nation as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. And I offer special thanks to him and the Government of India because, this time, the opportunity to organize the nationwide program has been given to our Gadchiroli, to our Maharashtra. For this, I express my deep gratitude to him. We all know that our tribal society, our Adivasi society, has a very glorious history and a very rich culture. Whenever the nation was attacked, our tribal heroes were always at the forefront among those who fought..." (Source: Devendra Fadnavis /YT)

— IANS (@ians_india) November 15, 2026

Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is observed every year on November 15 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who was born in 1875 into the Munda tribal community. He emerged as a prominent leader of tribal resistance against British colonial rule in the late 19th century.
Known as 'Dharti Aaba', Birsa Munda led a socio-religious and political movement against British oppression and exploitation in the tribal regions of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand.November 15 also marks the foundation day of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar in 2000 to coincide with Birsa Munda's birth anniversary. His legacy continues to symbolise tribal identity, resistance and pride.