PM Modi inaugurates ‘Aadi Mahotsav’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Aadi Mahotsav’, a mega national tribal festival to showcase the tribal culture on a large scale.

• The Aadi Mahotsav, which celebrates the spirit of tribal culture, crafts, cuisine, commerce and traditional art, is an annual initiative of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Limited (TRIFED) under the ministry of tribal affairs.

• This year, it is being organised from February 16 to 27 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

• It will showcase the rich and diverse heritage of tribes from across the country in over 200 stalls at the venue.

• Around 1,000 tribal artisans will participate in the exercise. 

• Since 2023 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, a special focus will be on showcasing ‘Shree Anna’, a recent government nomenclature for millets grown by tribals along with usual attractions like handicrafts, handloom, pottery and jewellery.

• India has the second-largest tribal population in the world. As per the Census 2011, the tribal population constitutes about 8.9 per cent of the total population in India. 

What is the role of TRIFED?

• The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) was established in 1987. 

• It is a national-level apex organisation functioning under the administrative control of the ministry of tribal affairs. TRIFED has its head office in New Delhi and 14 regional offices across the country.

• TRIFED aims for socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/cultivated by them. 

• It plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider, empowering them with knowledge and tools to better their operations in a systematic, scientific manner and also assist them in developing their marketing approach.

• It is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs). 

• It also imparts training to Scheduled Tribe artisans and Minor Forest Produce (MFP) gatherers.

• TRIFED has been striving to ameliorate the condition of the distressed and affected tribal people by putting in place several path-breaking initiatives, in addition to its existing flagship programmes and implementations. 

• The organisation assists in exploring and creating opportunities to market the developed products in national and international markets on a sustainable basis. 

• TRIBES India is the brand under which the sourced handcrafted products from the tribal people are sold. There are TRIBES India outlets across the country, making it a sustainable and reliable brand.

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