Government of India Launches “Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyan” to Deliver Tribal Welfare Schemes at the Grassroots

Bhubaneswar, August 7, 2025:In a mission-mode effort to ensure the last-mile delivery of tribal welfare schemes, the Government of India has launched the “Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyan”, spearheaded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. This transformative initiative aims to build a trained and responsive grassroots cadre that will reach remote tribal communities, strengthen trust in governance, and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The Abhiyan seeks to make governance more effective by preparing 20 lakh field-level functionaries who will lead development initiatives in tribal regions and facilitate the seamless delivery of essential government services. More than just a programme, Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyan is a movement that connects tribal citizens directly with government schemes and services, fostering participatory and inclusive governance.

As part of this initiative, a 7-day Regional Process Lab (RPL) Workshop was recently conducted in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, under the umbrella of the Dhartii Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). The workshop was supported by the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) and trained 24 participants from Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha. These participants—designated as State Master Trainers—will further train District Master Trainers, who in turn will cascade the training at the block level, thereby establishing a strong, decentralized local cadre.

The Aadi Karmayogi cadre is structured into three key categories:

Aadi Karmayogis – Government functionaries serving at the grassroots level

Aadi Sahayogis – Youth leaders, teachers, doctors, and social workers

Aadi Saathis – Tribal leaders, SHG members, and volunteers

The Abhiyan aims to cover 1 lakh tribal villages, 3,000 blocks, and over 550 districts across 30 states and Union Territories. In Odisha, the first phase will cover 22 districts, 213 blocks, and 7,623 tribal villages. The Bhubaneswar workshop was the fourth in the series of Regional Process Labs, following successful sessions in Bengaluru, Bhopal, and Dehradun. The initiative promotes citizen-centric governance by institutionalizing grievance redressal mechanisms, encouraging localized planning, and fostering collaborative implementation.

Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyan is being implemented through inter-ministerial convergence, with key ministries such as Tribal Affairs, Rural Development, Women and Child Development, Jal Shakti, Education, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change working in close coordination. By adopting a people-first approach, this campaign ensures that the benefits of government schemes directly reach tribal citizens, empowering them socially, economically, and institutionally.