Champa Raspeda, a young woman from Odisha’s Malkangiri district, has become the first-ever member of the Didayi tribe—a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)—to clear the NEET 2025 exam. She has secured admission to Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital, Balasore, marking a landmark moment for her community.

• Inspiration and Support: Champa’s story is celebrated as one of resilience and community empowerment. Coming from a marginal farming background in Amlibeda village, she persevered through financial hardships, interrupted studies, and social challenges, aided by government initiatives, free NEET coaching, and her teachers.
• Community and Government Response: Odisha’s Chief Minister hailed her as an inspiration for tribal youth and expressed hopes that she would return as a doctor to serve the poor and backward people of her region. Her achievement symbolizes a breakthrough for the Didayi and other PVTGs in medical and higher education.
• Development Context: The Didayi tribe consists of around 9,800 people living in remote hill and forest villages of the Malkangiri district. Historically, they have faced challenges associated with poverty, low literacy, and lack of healthcare. Government schemes like the Didayi Development Agency (DDA) and support from the SC & ST Development Department have played crucial roles in tribal upliftment.
• Significance: Champa’s success follows similar milestones by members of other PVTGs (e.g., Mangala Muduli of the Bonda tribe). Such achievements signal a new chapter of empowerment, social transformation, and hope for Odisha’s most vulnerable tribal groups.

Overview of the Didayi Tribe

The Didayi Tribe (also spelled Didai, Didiya, or Dire) is an indigenous community primarily residing in the Malkangiri district of Odisha, with some presence in Koraput district (Odisha) and parts of East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh). They are recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)—one of 13 such groups in Odisha.

Location and Population

• Concentrated in the Kondakamberu ranges of the Eastern Ghats.
• Population estimates vary, ranging from ~7,250 to 8,890 individuals.
• They are found in about 42 remote hill settlements adjacent to streams, with scattered and bamboo-fenced houses.

Language and Ethnicity

• Language: Didayi (classified under Austroasiatic/Munda family).
• Racial stock: Proto-Australoid.

Social Organization

• Patriarchal society with a traditional village council (lepar) and elders managing disputes and sociopolitical affairs.
• Five totemic clans (bonso), which are exogamous; marriage practices include negotiation, elopement, intrusion, and service. Customs such as bride price, widow remarriage, levirate, and sororate are prevalent.

Religion and Festivals

• Animistic beliefs with deep reverence for nature, earth, and a pantheon of gods and goddesses (e.g., Buro Bhairo, Nanagiri, Goa, Sendia, etc.).
• Numerous festivals and rituals: Lendi Pande, Bhairo Puja, Sibolove Hia, Goesendia Hia, Ghia Pande, Chait Parab, and more.

Occupation and Economy

• Traditionally dependent on shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn) and wetland paddy farming.
• Supplementary livelihood by collecting and selling forest produce (fruits, roots, wood, mushrooms).
• Engaged in horticulture, kitchen gardening, bamboo basketry, weaving of handloom clothes, archery, and broom-making.

Culture and Art

• Rich traditional arts and crafts, including bamboo work, weaving, pottery, painting, and vibrant music and dance, especially during community rituals.
• Night-time dances and locally brewed rice beer are part of their celebrations.

Identity and Relations

• The Didayi people consider the Bonda tribe as their elder brothers and the Gadaba and Paraja as close brethren.
• Their self-identity is "Gatare," meaning "the people".

Notable Developments

• In 2025, Champa Raspeda became the first Didayi member to clear NEET, marking significant progress in education within the community.
• The Didayi tribe represents a unique blend of ecological adaptation, cultural richness, resilient social structures, and efforts to preserve their traditions in the face of modernization.

Didayi Tribe,FAQs

1. Which of the following best describes the social organization and marriage customs of the Didayi tribe? 
A) Matriarchal society with monogamous marriages and strict endogamy within clans 
B) Patriarchal society with exogamous totemic clans, including negotiated marriages, elopement, and customs like bride price and levirate 
C) Egalitarian society with arranged marriages only and no practice of widow remarriage or sororate 
D) Clanless society practicing polygamy and prohibiting any form of marriage negotiation 
2. What is the significance of Champa Raspeda’s achievement in the context of the Didayi tribe and Odisha’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)? 
A) She became the first Didayi woman to win a national sports championship, inspiring tribal youth in athletics 
B) She is the first member of the Didayi tribe to clear the NEET exam, symbolizing educational breakthrough and hope for medical and social upliftment of PVTGs 
C) She led a government initiative to eradicate poverty in Malkangiri district through improved agricultural techniques 
D) She documented the oral history of the Didayi tribe, leading to increased recognition of their cultural heritage

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