Why in NEWS

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the first Regional Process Lab (RPL) under the Aadi KARMAYOGI mission to train tribal grassroots leaders in responsive governance. Simultaneously, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) launched the TALASH programme aimed at empowering tribal students with life skills, aptitude awareness, and career guidance.

Key Terms and Concepts

Key Term	Explanation
Aadi KARMAYOGI	A national mission to create 20 lakh tribal change leaders by building local governance capacity and ensuring last-mile service delivery.
Regional Process Lab (RPL)	A training facility for State Master Trainers (SMTs) under Aadi Karmayogi, first set up in Bengaluru.
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan (PM JANMAN)	Central scheme focusing on tribal justice and welfare delivery in remote tribal areas.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)	Tribal village development programme promoting convergence and community participation.
TALASH	A capacity-building platform to improve the aptitude, life skills, and career confidence of tribal students in EMRSs.
EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential Schools)	Residential schools for tribal students set up under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Tamanna Framework	Aptitude-based guidance tool by NCERT for students of Classes IX–X to identify academic and career interests.

Key Details of the News

Aadi Karmayogi Mission:

• Aims to create a trained grassroots tribal workforce of 20 lakh village-level change agents.
• Promotes local leadership by training SMTs, DMTs, and Block-level trainers.
• Integrates various ministries (Education, WCD, Jal Shakti, Forests) for joint implementation and quick grievance redressal.
• Focuses on community-led planning and participatory governance.
• RPL Bengaluru is training SMTs from 5 southern states – Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

TALASH Programme:

• Targets over 1.38 lakh tribal students in EMRSs across India.
• Empowers students with aptitude identification, life skills, and self-esteem training.
• Based on NCERT’s Tamanna Framework – includes aptitude testing and personalised career cards.
• Phase-wise implementation; 189 teachers from 75 EMRSs trained so far.
• Aligns with NEP 2020 for inclusive, holistic education.

In a Nutshell

Memory Code
“KARMA with TALENT”
KARMA = Karmayogi for tribal functionaries
TALENT = TALASH to find student potential

Prelims Questions

1. With reference to Aadi Karmayogi, consider the following statements:
   1. It aims to create a cadre of tribal scientists and innovators.
   2. It includes convergence of ministries like Education and Rural Development.
   3. It supports last-mile delivery in tribal regions.
      Which of the above statements is/are correct?
      A. 1 and 2 only
      B. 2 and 3 only
      C. 1 and 3 only
      D. 1, 2 and 3
2. TALASH, recently seen in news, is:
   A. A paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
   B. A digital learning initiative for tribal girl students only.
   C. A skill and career clarity programme for tribal students under NESTS.
   D. A health insurance scheme for Scheduled Tribes.
3. Consider the following pairs:
   Scheme/Initiative Associated Ministry
   PM JANMAN Ministry of Tribal Affairs
   Tamanna Framework Ministry of Education
   DAJGUA Ministry of Finance
   Which of the pairs are correctly matched?
   A. 1 and 2 only
   B. 2 and 3 only
   C. 1 and 3 only
   D. 1, 2 and 3

Mains Questions

1. How do programmes like Aadi Karmayogi and TALASH contribute to tribal empowerment and responsive governance in India? 10 marks
2. Despite the implementation of various programmes for eradication of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing. Explain by giving reasons. (Answer in the context of tribal and remote areas) 10 marks

Answers to Prelims Questions

Q. No.	Answer	Explanation
1	B	Statement 1 is incorrect—it’s about governance and service delivery, not scientists. Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
2	C	TALASH is a career support and life skills programme for tribal students under NESTS.
3	A	PM JANMAN and Tamanna are correctly matched. DAJGUA is under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, not Finance.