Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday, 15 November 2026, inaugurated and laid the e-foundation stone of development projects worth ₹2,283.97 crore for tribal communities across 14 districts of Gujarat, during the state-level celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Chhota Udepur. The occasion marked the 151st birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda, reverently called Dharti Aaba, with the event held alongside a national-level celebration in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via live telecast.

Scale of Projects Announced

The projects span multiple departments — including Tribal Development, Water Supply, Irrigation, Roads and Buildings, Education, Health, Animal Husbandry, Forest and Environment, and Panchayat. Chief Minister Patel additionally announced socio-economic initiatives worth ₹231 crore along with individual beneficiary assistance. Forest rights certificates were approved for 18,828 beneficiaries, and development works of ₹1,017 crore were highlighted under this category alone.

The Chief Minister also launched the 'Prakruti Krushi Aadharit Vadi Sahay Yojana' across all 14 tribal districts, targeting nature-based and farm-linked livelihoods for tribal households. Innovative livelihood schemes — Shabari Booth and Johar Cafe — were unveiled to support tribal women and local artisans.

Education and Healthcare Transformation in the Tribal Belt

Patel highlighted sweeping changes in social infrastructure within Gujarat's tribal regions: 12 science colleges, two universities, 12 medical colleges, and 57 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are now operational. More than 22,500 smart classrooms have been established and over 18,800 Forest Rights Certificates distributed to date.

The Chief Minister noted a marked shift in aspirations — from demands for basic road connectivity to entire tribal corridors now being linked via high-speed infrastructure. He attributed the transformation partly to the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana, launched in 2007, which he described as a milestone in holistic tribal development.

Chhota Udepur to Become Sports and Food Processing Hub

In a forward-looking announcement, Patel declared that Chhota Udepur would be developed as a Sports and Food Processing Hub, aimed at generating employment for tribal youth and contributing to the government's 'Viksit Bharat by 2047' vision. The announcement signals a push to integrate tribal districts into Gujarat's broader industrial and sports ecosystem.

Political Voices at the Celebration

Gujarat Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel said that 15 November had been 'etched in golden letters in history' under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. He noted that Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was celebrated at 86 locations across the state and reaffirmed the government's commitment to the development of more than 1.11 crore tribal people living in Gujarat, from Umargam to Ambaji.

The event was attended by Lok Sabha MP Jashu Rathwa, Rajya Sabha MP Mukesh Rathwa, MLAs Rajendrasinh Rathwa, Jayanti Rathwa and Abhesinh Tadvi, and former MPs Naran Rathwa and Gita Rathwa, along with senior officials and a large number of tribal community members. The Chief Minister opened proceedings by paying floral tributes to the statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

Broader Context: Tribal Welfare as Political Priority

This comes amid a sustained national emphasis on tribal outreach, with Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas having been designated a central government observance in recent years to honour tribal contributions to India's freedom movement. The Centre has reportedly cited that nearly 50 crore people across the country have risen out of poverty under welfare schemes designed with the marginalised at their centre — a figure Chief Minister Patel echoed in his address. With Gujarat heading deeper into the development cycle ahead of 2047 targets, the scale of Sunday's announcements signals that tribal districts will remain central to the state's growth narrative.