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The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and CSIR-NBRI Lucknow launched a three-year project on 12 November 2026 at Koraput, Odisha, to conserve medicinal plants and build livelihoods in 16 tribal hotspots across 13 states and Union Territories.
Why is the project in the news?
- 12 November 2026: the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, with CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, formally launched the project at Odisha Central University, Koraput.
- The project covers 16 selected tribal hotspots in 13 states and Union Territories, including Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh.
- A field visit to the Koraput tribal hotspot is planned for 13 November 2026.
What are the key facts?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launched by | Ministry of Tribal Affairs with CSIR-NBRI |
| Duration | Three years |
| Coverage | 16 hotspots, 13 states and UTs |
| Species to document | About 200 to 300 medicinal plants |
| Rare, endangered, threatened | 30 to 40 species to be propagated |
| Infrastructure | 16 community nurseries, 16 seed banks |
| Planting material | 40,000 to 50,000 pieces |
The project title is about integrated conservation, agri-technology and bio-resource enterprise development for sustainable tribal livelihoods. It also trains tribal farmers, traditional healers, women and rural youth in cultivation and value chains.
How does this link to the static topic?
- Biodiversity conservation can be in situ, in the habitat, or ex situ, such as nurseries, seed banks and botanical gardens.
- The project works with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) and with state tribal welfare and forest departments.
- Rare, endangered and threatened (RET) species are a standard conservation category.
How the project works
- Document plants and knowledge
- Propagate RET species
- Set up nurseries and seed banks
- Train communities
- Start bio-resource enterprises
What is the Uttar Pradesh angle?
Sonbhadra is the Uttar Pradesh hotspot in the project. In October 2026, CSIR-NBRI, based in Lucknow, did field work there: the team spoke to 146 tribal knowledge holders in 12 villages and documented their traditional medicinal practices. It collected about 200 plant samples under 97 field numbers and 25 live orchid specimens for the NBRI botanical garden. For GS-V, link this to tribal livelihoods in the state; for GS-VI, to environment and science and technology.
Likely confusions
- A seed bank is not a nursery: a seed bank stores seed, a nursery grows saplings.
- CSIR-NBRI is in Lucknow, but the launch was held in Koraput, Odisha.
- The 16 hotspots are districts, not 16 states.
Key Terms
- Tribal hotspot
- A selected tribal district where the project works.
- RET species
- Rare, endangered and threatened plant species.
- Ex situ conservation
- Protecting species outside their habitat, for example in seed banks.
- CSIR-NBRI
- A Council of Scientific and Industrial Research institute for plant research in Lucknow.
- Van Dhan Vikas Kendra
- A centre that adds value to forest produce of tribal communities.
UPPSC syllabus: GS-III, GS-I
FAQs
Which Uttar Pradesh district is in the project?
Sonbhadra is one of the 16 tribal hotspots.
How long does the project run?
Three years.
Last verified: 2026-11-13
