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
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar Gets One-Year Extension
Manipur Public Service Commission
Former IFS SS Chhabra Appointed Chairman of Manipur Public Service Commission
images - 2021-07-23T090739
84 Judicial Officers Reshuffled Across Punjab, Justice Virinder Aggarwal Moved to Faridkot
Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme Uttar Pradesh1
UP: 13 Students from Yogi Govt’s Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme Crack UPSC 2024, Shine on National Stage
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
15 IPS officers Transferred in Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Mishra Appointed SP Kanpur Dehat, Sudha Singh DIG Railway, Lucknow
IAS Officers New Image
7 IAS Officers, Anju Sharma & Nitishwar Kumar, Empanelled for Addl Secy-Level Posts at Centre
prateek jain ias
IAS Prateek Jain Transferred to Gujarat Cadre on Grounds of Marriage
epfo
ICAS Sanjay Pandey Elevated to Additional Secretary Rank in EPFO
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 21.00
AIR-11, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani: The Girl Who Quietly Dreamt, and Loudly Delivered in UPSC CSE 2024
At 24, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani from Warangal cracked UPSC 2024 with AIR 11—no coaching, no shortcuts....
Shah margi chirag
Fifth Attempt, AIR 4: Shah Margi Chirag’s Steady Climb to Success | Exclusive
After five attempts, Margi Chirag Shah secured AIR 4 in UPSC CSE 2024. Her journey reflects focus, simplicity,...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 16.36
UPSC CSE 2024 How CA Harshita Goyal Carved Her Path to AIR 2
Haryana-born, Gujarat-raised — meet UPSC star, Harshita Goyal, a CA, a social worker, an accomplished...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar Gets One-Year Extension
Manipur Public Service Commission
Former IFS SS Chhabra Appointed Chairman of Manipur Public Service Commission
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT