https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In This UNESCO World Heritage Site, She is Making Life Easier for the Tribals

Lakhs of tourists visit the enchanting Nilgiri hills every year. But giving boost to tourism is not the priority of IAS officer J Innocent Divya, who is posted here. She is more concerned with providing education and employment to the tribals of Nilgiri.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The blue mountain ranges of Nilgiris, situated at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, are a treat to the eyes. The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, a very important part of the belt, has already been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is in and around this reserve that several aboriginals communities, which include six tribal groups, live. 

 In 2017, IAS officer Ms J Innocent Divya got her posting in the Nilgiris and decided that  two issues required immediate attention. The first was to connect the tribes to the mainstream and the second to save the environment of this ecologically sensitive district. In just over two years, she has met with tremendous success on both these counts.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds , Ms Divya said, “Nilgiris forest is home to six primitive tribes. While two of these, Todas and Kotas have access to most amenities to live a decent life, others like Irula and Badaga lacks these facilities. To enable them to be a part of the mainstream, we had to first connect their villages with roads, and also provide them with houses and electricity. I am really happy to say that we have succeeded in that direction.”

Roofs Over Their Heads

Ms. Divya’s first move was to giving the tribals of Nilgiris access to roads and drinking water. After joining the office, she ordered the collectorate officials to do a survey around the forest areas, where the tribals lived. Based on their findings, she initiated the construction of roads. As of now, 95% of these areas have been connected with roads, while work is on for the remaining  5% areas. 

Under her leadership, more than 2000 houses have been built for the tribes

Apart from this the officer has also started the construction of houses for the tribes. With the help of various schemes of central and state government like PM AwasYojna or Green House scheme for the tribes, 1700 houses has been allocated for the tribes. Meanwhile, more than 500 houses are under construction. The collector’s team was also successful in providing electricity to the 780 houses for the first time. More works are being done to extend this initiative. 

ITI for the Tribals

Two problems which dog the tribals constantly is lack of education and very few employment opportunities for them. Ms Divya is aware of these shortcomings. As she explained, “ There are a number of dropouts among tribals, and it is really hard to convince them for enrolling again. Besides, generating employment for them is also a big issue, mainly because these people do not want to move out and try their luck in the cities. So, the trick was to ensure and arrange work for them in their villages.’’ 

Ms. Divya inspecting the roads made to connect the forest areas with the city

Keeping this in mind, the collector has started an ITI for the dropout students from class 10 and 8. It has a capacity for 150 students with residential facility. After getting them trained, her office ensures that they set up their business. Mostly, these youth develop brick making as their main skill. 

Investing in Human Resources

Providing proper nutrition to the tribals is another big task for the administration. One out of two tribal children suffer from malnutrition. Ms. Divya has started a slew of community kitchens for the children as well as the pregnant woman. She also encourages her staff to adopt one anganwadi each in their areas. She said, “Many officials of mine have adopted the anganwadis. It costs around 6000 rupes per month. With this money nutritive foods like raisins, almond, ghee and other items are sent to them. I am really thankful to my staff that their efforts are making this program a great success.” 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT