IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS Launch Adi Karmayogi Student Chapters to Mentor Tribal Youth

India’s premier higher education institutes, including IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NITs, and other national-level universities, have joined hands to launch Adi Karmayogi Student Chapters, an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs aimed at mentoring and empowering tribal youth. The programme will be anchored at IIT Delhi, where the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Cell will serve as the central hub.

The student chapters are part of the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, described as the world’s largest tribal leadership movement, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2025, under the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh celebrations (2024–25).

At the launch event, Tribal Affairs Secretary Vibhu Nayar highlighted the initiative’s objective of bridging the gap between tribal communities and top academic institutions. “By connecting students with tribal development programmes, we are nurturing a generation of young leaders who will transform India’s social, educational, and entrepreneurial landscape,” he said.

IIT Delhi Director Professor Rangan Banerjee welcomed the initiative as a platform for students to use their skills to address challenges faced by tribal regions. “This is about mentoring, innovating, and building impactful solutions for inclusive growth,” he noted.

Institutions in the First Phase

The first phase includes a wide range of institutes:

• Engineering & Management: IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Dharwad, IIT Hyderabad, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Nagpur.

• Medical: AIIMS Nagpur, AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Bhatinda, VMMC-Safdarjung Hospital.

• Research & Science: IISER Mohali, SVNIRTAR, IIST Trivandrum.

• Technical & Law: DTU Delhi, NITs (Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Puducherry, Meghalaya), IIITDM Kurnool, BIT Mesra, NERIST Arunachal Pradesh, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute, RGNUL Patiala.

• Hospitality: IHM Kufri, IHM Tharamani, IHM Pusa, IHM Bhopal, IHM Bhubaneswar.

Key Activities of the Student Chapters

• Mentorship & Education: Linking IIT, IIM, and AIIMS students with Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram schools.

• Entrepreneurship Support: Enabling tribal-led startups with access to a ₹50 crore venture capital fund.

• Innovation Challenges: Hackathons and workshops to design technology-based solutions for tribal communities.

• Village Development Projects: Vision 2030 plans, SWOT analyses, and sustainable growth strategies.

• Skill Training: Opportunities in semiconductors and frontier technologies with support from IISc Bangalore.

• Internships & Recognition: Placements with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and state governments, with awards for impactful contributions.

Leaders from participating institutes hailed the campaign as a milestone in preparing tribal youth for Viksit Bharat @2047, positioning them as innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers of the future.