Initiative for Conservation of Medicinal Plants in 16 Tribal Hotspots

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with CSIR-NBRI (Lucknow), launched a three-year national project on 12 November 2026 at the Central University of Odisha in Koraput.

Key Facts

Project Title: It is named 'Integrated Conservation, Agro-Technology and Bio-Resource Enterprise Development for Sustainable Tribal Livelihoods in Tribal Hotspots of India'.
Hotspots in UP and MP: Among the 16 selected tribal hotspots across 13 States/Union Territories, 'Sonbhadra' district of Uttar Pradesh and 'Anuppur' district of Madhya Pradesh have been included.
Other Major Regions: These include 3 in Odisha (Koraput, Kandhamal, Balangir), 2 in Maharashtra (Gadchiroli, Nashik), East Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh), Kargil (Ladakh), and Dharchula (Uttarakhand).
Key Targets: Under the project, 200–300 medicinal species will be documented, 30–40 Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species will be propagated, and 16 community nurseries and 16 seed banks will be established.
Distribution of Planting Material: To promote the conservation and sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants, 40,000 to 50,000 high-quality planting materials will be distributed to tribal communities.
Survey in Sonbhadra (UP Special): In October 2026, CSIR-NBRI interacted with 146 tribals across 12 villages in Sonbhadra and collected 200 medicinal specimens and 25 live orchids.