Palamu Tiger Reserve launches ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ initiative | 25 Feb 2026

Why In News?

The Palamu Tiger Reserve has launched a new community-based initiative titled ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ across 17 identified villages located in and around the reserve to train local women as environment educators and conservation facilitators.

Key Points:

• ‘Vanjeevi Didi’ Initiative:‘Vanjeevi’ means forest-dweller or life of the forest, while ‘Didi’ signifies women community leaders.
• Target Group: The program has selected 18 educated women from each of the 17 villages (including Henar, Surkumi, and Kotam). Most participants are college graduates or currently pursuing higher education.
• Core Objective: These "Vanjeevi Didis" act as a bridge between the forest department and the community to discourage illegal activities like poaching and timber felling.
• Under the programme, selected women from forest-fringe villages are trained to:
  • Spread awareness on wildlife conservation
  • Educate communities about human–wildlife conflict mitigation
  • Act as a bridge between the Forest Department and local residents
  • Promote sustainable livelihoods and responsible forest use
• Incentives: Each participant receives a monthly honorarium of ₹3,000. The initiative is currently a two-month pilot project starting from February 17, 2026, with plans for a performance-based review for potential expansion.