On 15 November 2026, India observes Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, the day set aside to honour tribal heroes of the freedom struggle. It is the 151st birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whom the country calls Dharti Aaba, the "Father of the Earth".
According to a release from the Prime Minister's Office on 14 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the main programme at Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, at 11 AM by video conference and will address the gathering. He will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for 246 projects worth about ₹3,000 crore for tribal communities across the country.
One of the projects is of particular interest to history students: the Ropuiliani Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum at Aizawl, Mizoram, named after a nineteenth-century Mizo chieftainess who resisted British rule. The day also closes the Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada, a fortnight of events held from 1 to 15 November 2026.
This article uses the occasion to explain the man behind the date, what the Ulgulan was and why it happened, how the day came to be on the calendar, and what the tribal-rights framework in the Constitution looks like.
The programme at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Occasion | Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, 15 November 2026; 151st birth anniversary of Birsa Munda |
| Main programme | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, 11 AM, PM joining by video conference |
| Projects | 246 projects, about ₹3,000 crore: 173 to be inaugurated, the rest to receive foundation stones |
| Education | 38 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) inaugurated; foundation stones for 19 more |
| Community infrastructure | 100 Multi-Purpose Centres inaugurated; 12 Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centres (foundation stones) |
| Heritage | Tribal Research Institute building, Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and the Ropuiliani Museum, Aizawl (Mizoram) |
| Fortnight | Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada, 1 to 15 November 2026 |
Who was Birsa Munda?
Birsa was born on 15 November 1875 at Ulihatu, in what is now Khunti district of Jharkhand, in a poor family of the Munda tribe. The Mundas lived in the plateau region of Chotanagpur, which then belonged to the Bengal Presidency.
The NCERT account gives the human outline. He grew up grazing sheep and playing the flute, and his father moved from place to place in search of work. As an adolescent he heard the elders of the community, the sardars, speak of a golden age when the Mundas had been free of dikus, the outsiders who had taken their land, and of the day their ancestral rights would be restored. He attended a missionary school and later spent time with a Vaishnav preacher, and he took ideas from both into a faith of his own. He told the Mundas to give up liquor, keep their villages clean and abandon belief in witchcraft. By 1895 thousands of followers regarded him as a bhagwan, a divine figure sent to save them.
His movement had two sides that the NCERT is careful to separate:
- Reform within the community. It was a religious and moral revival, a return to what he called the satyug, the age of truth, when the Mundas lived honestly, tilled their land and built embankments.
- Revolt against outside power. He turned against missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords and the colonial government alike, because he saw all of them as the cause of the Mundas' misery. What worried British officials most was the political aim: to drive these forces out and set up a Munda Raj with Birsa at its head.
What was the Ulgulan, and why did it happen?
Ulgulan means the "Great Tumult". It was the uprising Birsa led in 1899-1900, and the date range matters, because examiners like to place it against the earlier tribal revolts.
The causes were material first and religious second.
- Loss of land. British land settlements and a new system of rents broke the traditional communal land holding of the Mundas. Landlords, contractors and moneylenders, the dikus, took over land the families had cleared and farmed for generations. Standard study material on tribal problems still lists land alienation, which goes back to British days, among the main issues tribal communities face.
- Forced labour. The Munda songs recorded in the NCERT text speak of drudgery and of the zamindar's agent who "annoys and irritates me, day and night". Forced and unpaid labour was a hated feature of the system.
- Pressure on faith and custom. Missionaries criticised traditional culture, and many tribals felt their religion was in danger.
The course can be followed in four steps.
- 1895. The authorities arrested Birsa, convicted him of rioting and jailed him for two years.
- 1897. On release he toured villages, using traditional symbols and language. He called on his followers to destroy "Ravana", meaning the dikus and the Europeans, and to raise a kingdom under his leadership.
- 1899-1900. The movement turned violent. His followers attacked police stations and churches and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars. They raised a white flag as the symbol of Birsa Raj.
- 1900. The government acted with force, and many Mundas were killed in an armed confrontation. Birsa was arrested in early 1900 and died in jail at Ranchi a few months later, on 9 June 1900. The older NCERT text names cholera as the cause. He was 24 years old, a few months short of his 25th birthday.
The legacy is the reason he is celebrated today. The NCERT lists two outcomes: the revolt forced the colonial government to introduce laws to protect tribal land from being taken over by dikus, and it showed that tribal people could protest injustice in their own way, inventing their own rituals and symbols. The best known of these laws is the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, which protects the customary land rights of the Mundas and other communities in the region, and which has been debated in Jharkhand's politics ever since.
Tribal revolts in perspective
The Ulgulan was one of the best-known of a long line. The NCERT's Class 8 text lists several tribal rebellions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries against changes in laws, new taxes and exploitation by traders and moneylenders.
| Revolt | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Kol rising | 1831-32 | Chotanagpur |
| Santhal Hul | 1855 | Santhal Parganas (present-day Jharkhand) |
| Ulgulan (Birsa Munda) | 1899-1900 | Chotanagpur |
| Bastar Rebellion | 1910 | Central India |
| Warli Revolt | 1940 | Maharashtra |
Note that Birsa's Chotanagpur had already seen the Kol rising some seventy years earlier. For the full comparison, including causes and leaders, see our concept page on tribal revolts in British India, and for the economic side of the story, our NDA notes on British land policies.
How Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas came to be
The day is only five years old.
- 10 November 2021. The Union Cabinet decided to observe Birsa Munda's birth anniversary, 15 November, as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
- Days later. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs notified the day. Its stated purpose is to honour the contribution of tribal heroes in the freedom struggle, especially Birsa Munda.
- 15 November 2021. The first observance took place.
- November 2024 to November 2025. The Government marked the 150th birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, a year-long celebration. The Department of Posts released a commemorative stamp on 15 November 2024 at Jamui, Bihar. The main event of the culmination in 2025 was held at Dediyapada, Gujarat.
There is a second reason the date matters. 15 November is also Jharkhand's foundation day: the state was carved out of Bihar on 15 November 2000, which is Birsa's birth anniversary. Questions on this pairing are easy marks.
Ropuiliani: the second freedom fighter in the news
The 2026 programme gives a place to a figure less often met in textbooks. Ropuiliani was a Mizo chieftainess of the Lushai Hills in the nineteenth century. After the death of her husband, the chief Vandula, she took charge of her village and resisted the advance of the British into Mizo territory. The British captured her, and she died in custody in January 1895. The PIB release describes her as "a symbol of tribal resistance and sacrifice". The museum at Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, honours the Mizo freedom fighters and shows their culture and heritage.
Pairing her with Birsa also makes a point about the tribal movements. They were not confined to one region or one century. Mizoram, a state since 20 February 1987, is a Sixth Schedule area, while Jharkhand's tribal districts fall under the Fifth Schedule.
The constitutional framework in brief
Questions from this story usually move quickly from the history to the Constitution.
- Article 342 lets the President specify which tribes are Scheduled Tribes in each state.
- The Fifth Schedule governs the administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- The Sixth Schedule provides for autonomous district and regional councils in those four north-eastern states.
- Article 46 (a Directive Principle) tells the State to promote the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Tribes and protect them from social injustice and exploitation.
Our notes on the Schedules of the Constitution cover the two Schedules in detail.
The schemes behind the ₹3,000 crore
The 2026 projects are delivered through existing programmes rather than new ones.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools. An EMRS gives tribal children in remote areas a residential school in their own region. Under the approved norms, every block with 50% or more Scheduled Tribe population and at least 20,000 ST persons is to get one. Each school is designed for 480 students in Classes VI to XII. The 38 schools to be opened and 19 to receive foundation stones add to a network the Ministry has been expanding for years.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). Launched on 2 October 2024 at Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, it targets about 63,800 tribal villages in about 2,900 blocks across 26 states and four Union Territories, covering nearly 5 crore tribal people. It runs to 31 March 2029, with 25 interventions by 17 ministries. Our explainer on PM-JANMAN covers the companion scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
What to watch
- Completion and use. Inaugurating a school building is the first step; teachers, hostels and enrolment decide whether it works.
- Land rights. The cause that drove the Ulgulan, land alienation, remains a live issue in tribal regions, and laws like the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act continue to be argued over.
- Tribal history in the curriculum. The museum at Aizawl and the Tribal Research Institute at Itanagar are part of a push to preserve tribal heritage, which will feed into future syllabi and exam questions.
🔑 Revision block
The day. Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, 15 November; Union Cabinet decision 10 November 2021; first observed 15 November 2021. In 2026: 151st birth anniversary.
The programme. PM joins at Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, 11 AM; 246 projects, about ₹3,000 crore; 38 EMRS opened, 19 foundation stones; 100 Multi-Purpose Centres; 12 TMMCs; TRI Itanagar; Ropuiliani Museum, Aizawl. Closes the Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada (1 to 15 November).
Birsa Munda. Born 15 November 1875, Ulihatu (Khunti, Jharkhand); Munda tribe; Ulgulan 1899-1900; goal Munda Raj; white flag; jailed 1895-97; arrested early 1900; died in jail 9 June 1900. Called Dharti Aaba / Bhagwan.
Context. Targets: dikus, missionaries, moneylenders, landlords. Earlier revolts: Kol 1831-32, Santhal 1855; later: Bastar 1910, Warli 1940. Law: Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908.
Anniversary year. Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, November 2024 to November 2025 (150th). Jharkhand formed 15 November 2000.
Ropuiliani. Mizo chieftainess, Lushai Hills; resisted the British; died in custody January 1895. Mizoram: state since 20 February 1987, Sixth Schedule.
Framework. Article 342 (ST list); Fifth and Sixth Schedules; Article 46. EMRS norm: block with 50% ST and 20,000 ST persons; 480 students, Classes VI-XII. DAJGUA: launched 2 October 2024, runs to 31 March 2029.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is observed every year on:
(a) 2 October
(b) 31 October
(c) 15 November
(d) 26 November
→ (c)
It marks the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, 15 November. The Union Cabinet decided on this in November 2021.
Q2. The Ulgulan led by Birsa Munda took place in:
(a) 1831-32
(b) 1855-56
(c) 1899-1900
(d) 1910
→ (c)
1831-32 is the Kol rising, 1855 the Santhal Hul, and 1910 the Bastar Rebellion.
Q3. Birsa Munda belonged to which tribal community?
(a) Munda
(b) Santhal
(c) Oraon
(d) Gond
→ (a)
He was born in a Munda family at Ulihatu, in present-day Jharkhand. Santhals and Oraons were among his other followers.
Q4. Consider the following statements about the Birsa movement:
1. It sought the restoration of Santhal Raj in the Santhal Parganas.
2. It aimed at establishing a Munda Raj and drove its attacks against outsiders such as moneylenders and missionaries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (b)
The Birsa movement was centred on the Munda tribe in Chotanagpur and aimed at a Munda Raj. The Santhal Hul of 1855 is a separate rising.
Q5. The Ropuiliani Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum, which the Prime Minister will inaugurate, is located at:
(a) Imphal
(b) Kohima
(c) Shillong
(d) Aizawl
→ (d)
It is in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, and honours Mizo freedom fighters. Ropuiliani was a Mizo chieftainess.
Q6. Which state was formed on 15 November 2000, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda?
(a) Chhattisgarh
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Telangana
(d) Jharkhand
→ (d)
Chhattisgarh was formed on 1 November 2000, Uttarakhand on 9 November 2000, and Jharkhand on 15 November 2000. Telangana was formed in 2014.
Q7. Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was instituted by:
(a) A decision of the Union Cabinet in 2021
(b) An Act of Parliament in 2019
(c) An order of the Supreme Court in 2016
(d) A recommendation of the Sixteenth Finance Commission
→ (a)
The Union Cabinet decided on 10 November 2021, and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs then notified the day.
Q8. Consider the following statements about Eklavya Model Residential Schools:
1. They are designed for children in Classes I to V.
2. Under the approved norms, a block with at least 50% ST population and at least 20,000 ST persons is to have one.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (b)
An EMRS takes 480 students from Classes VI to XII, so statement 1 is wrong.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Modern history questions on tribal and peasant movements follow a steady pattern in the General Ability Test, and this story supports three versions.
The first is match the leader to the movement: Birsa Munda with the Ulgulan, Sido and Kanhu with the Santhal Hul, and so on. The trap is to mix up the regions, as in Q4 above.
The second is place and date: where Birsa was born, how long the movement lasted, and what he aimed for. Examiners use numbers close to each other, such as 1855 and 1899, so learn the table of revolts as pairs.
The third is current-affairs hooks on culture: commemorative days, the states formed in 2000, and constitutional provisions for tribes. The Schedules and Article 342 are asked regularly, and a Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas question usually pairs the date with Jharkhand's foundation day.
Preparing for NDA? Make a one-page table of tribal revolts with the year, region, leader and cause, and revise the colonial land system behind them with our NDA study material. Follow the daily NDA current affairs, and learn with experienced faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Prime Minister's Office, "PM to participate in Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme on 15 November", 14 November 2026; PIB / Ministry of Tribal Affairs, "Observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas", 4 December 2025; PIB / Cabinet, 10 November 2021; PIB / Ministry of Communications, 15 November 2024; PIB / Ministry of Tribal Affairs releases of 22 July 2021 and 30 July 2025; NCERT, Class 8 history and Class 12 history textbooks. Ropuiliani's life and the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act cross-checked with standard open references.
✍️ Written by Aditya Tiwari — Economy & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.