Context: 

The Prime Minister will inaugurate TRIFED’s Aadi Mahotsav festival in Delhi. 

About Aadi Mahotsav:

• It is an annual Tribal Festival that was started in the year 2017.
• Organized by: It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs & Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

• Significance:

• • The Aadi Mahotsav acquaints people with  rich tribal heritage and culture. 
  • It helps the underprivileged tribes get a bigger market for displaying and selling their arts and crafts. 
  • The Aadi Mahotsav is also an opportunity for the artisans to interact directly with art lovers and get first-hand feedback which can then better their creations and designs.
  • Aadi Mahotsav establishes a direct connection between the masses and the tribal people. 

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED):

• TRIFED was established in 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 as a National level Cooperative body under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Welfare of India.
• Mandate: To bring about socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalizing the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/ cultivated by them.

• Role:

• • Dual Role: It plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider, empowering the tribals with knowledge and tools to better their operations in a systematic, scientific manner and also assist them in developing their marketing approach.
  • Capacity Building: It is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Some initiatives by TRIFED:

• ‘Van Dhan Yojana’: Trifed’s ‘Van Dhan Yojana’ seeks to shift tribal economy from supply of raw materials to value-added processing of these materials.

• Tech for Tribals: It aims at the holistic development of tribals with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through self help groups (SHGs) operating through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs).

• Sankalp Se Siddhi – Mission Van Dhan: TRIFED  plans to expand its operations through convergence of various schemes of different Ministries and Departments and launch the various tribal development programs.

News Source: The Hindu