PM-JUGA tribal homestays — SD 2.0 sub-scheme citizen guide

Quick answer. Development of Homestays in Tribal Areas under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA) is a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, designed to promote responsible tourism + livelihood opportunities in tribal villages by funding village-cluster homestay infrastructure. The scheme operationalised under a Ministry of Tourism Office Memorandum issued in January 2025, with a draft schematic guideline spelling out cluster-selection, beneficiary identification, infrastructure components, and monitoring. The model converges with the broader DAJUGA / PM-JUGA tribal-development framework — meaning tribal-homestay clusters are coordinated with parallel initiatives in tribal welfare, livelihoods, and education in the same village. State Governments propose village clusters; the Ministry sanctions; State Tribal Welfare / Tourism Departments execute. For citizens — particularly tribal-village residents — PM-JUGA represents a structured pathway to formal homestay operation backed by central infrastructure support (community kitchen, toilets, signage, training, online visibility), which historically has been the missing piece for individual tribal-village hosts.

1. Infrastructure refurbishment at participating homestays — basic room upgrades, bath fittings, linen, signage.
2. Common-cluster facilities — community kitchen, shared toilets where individual home expansion is not feasible, central waste-management.
3. Connectivity — last-mile road / pathway upgradation, reliable Wi-Fi where feasible, mobile-network signal boosters.
4. Local-economy integration — craft / produce markets, traditional-cuisine showcases, performance / cultural spaces.
5. Capacity-building — hospitality + housekeeping + culinary skill training under PMKVY / similar; English / customer-handling primers; safety + first-aid training.
6. Digital visibility — listing on incredibleindia.gov.in + State Tourism portals; basic photography + content support.
7. Convergence support — coordination with parallel tribal-development schemes (DAY-NRLM SHG credit, PMKVY skills, Saubhagya electrification, Jal Jeevan tap water) so the cluster's broader ecosystem is upgraded.

The mix per cluster depends on the State Tribal Welfare / Tourism Department's submitted plan.

1. State Government identifies village clusters (typically tribal villages with existing or potential homestay activity) under coordination with the State Tribal Welfare Department.
2. DPR preparation by the State Tribal / Tourism agency or empanelled consultant, listing all proposed homestays in the cluster + cluster-level common infrastructure.
3. State submits to the Ministry of Tourism for review and sanction.
4. Sanction order issues with cluster-level cost build-up.
5. Execution by State Tribal / Tourism Department — in coordination with Gram Panchayat + village-level SHG / cluster lead.
6. Disbursement typically milestone-linked.
7. O&M by the State + cluster lead post-completion.

Tribal-village homestay activity historically faced four structural gaps:

1. Information gap about state homestay registration, fire NOC, FRRO, GST.
2. Access gap to credit for renovation (banks reluctant on undocumented ownership).
3. Visibility gap on national OTAs (Airbnb, MakeMyTrip).
4. Convergence gap with adjacent rural-development schemes.

PM-JUGA addresses all four at the cluster level — registration is part of the scheme entry, credit + convergence + visibility come bundled.

• PIO, Ministry of Tourism — list of sanctioned PM-JUGA clusters, sanction orders, schematic guideline.
• PIO, State Tribal Welfare Department — beneficiary lists, cluster-lead identification, training schedules.
• PIO, State Tourism Department — convergence status with state homestay registration framework.
• PIO, Gram Panchayat — cluster-level common-infrastructure construction status.
• If your village should have been in a cluster but isn't — RTI to State Tribal Welfare asking what proposals are in pipeline for the next sanction round.

→ Use AI RTI Drafter for the letter.

If you're a homestay operator generally (not necessarily tribal-area), see the Homestay India 2026 pillar guide + the cluster of 7 supporting articles. The PM-JUGA route is specific to tribal-area cluster development.

Tribal-area village residents in clusters approved by the State Tribal Welfare / Tourism Department. Selection happens at the State + Ministry level, not as individual application.

The Ministry of Tourism's draft schematic guideline was issued in January 2025.

Sub-scheme of SD 2.0, with distinct operational guidelines for tribal-area homestay clusters.

DAJUGA (Dharti Ava Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan) is the broader tribal-development umbrella covering livelihood, education, health, infrastructure across tribal villages. PM-JUGA homestay clusters are one component that converges with DAJUGA delivery.

Through the village-cluster process facilitated by State Tribal Welfare + Gram Panchayat. Not as a standalone individual application to the Ministry.

Renovation + cluster-level common infrastructure, not greenfield individual house construction. The scheme assumes existing or potential homestay activity in the village.

Yes — registration is part of the framework. PM-JUGA clusters are operated by formally registered homestays.

Yes. Section 4(1)(b)(xii) RTI Act applies. Sanction orders, DPRs, beneficiary lists (anonymised on guest side) are disclosable.

• Swadesh Darshan 1.0 — original 15 thematic circuits
• UDAN regional connectivity scheme — affordable air travel for tier-2/3 cities
• Homestay India 2026 — pillar guide
• Government schemes for homestay owners
• Swadesh Darshan India 2026 — pillar guide
• Swadesh Darshan 2.0 sustainable destinations
• CBDD
• PRASHAD pilgrimage scheme
• SASCI iconic tourist centres
• How citizens use RTI to track these schemes

• Ministry of Tourism — Draft Schematic Guideline for Development of Tribal Homestays (issued January 2025)
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs — DAJUGA / PM-JUGA framework
• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — §§4(1)(b)(xii), 6(1)

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Last reviewed: 4 May 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team. Citizen-information piece based on publicly published scheme guidelines.