Scheduled Tribes & PVTGs

Scheduled Tribes & PVTGs: Particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) are a group of people in the tribal community who need greater support and development. Out of 705 Scheduled Tribes in India, 75 Scheduled Tribes have been identified as PVTGs and are spread across 17 states and one Union Territory.

Let us learn in detail below!

Scheduled Tribes & PVTGs

Who are PVTG?

• Spread across 17 states and one Union Territory, the 75 PVTGs inhabit diverse ecological landscapes ranging from serene plains and lush forests to rugged hills and remote, inaccessible areas. These groups also differ from each other culturally.
• Their development is of utmost importance through social, economic, and educational development, which is characterized by limited access to development resources and infrastructure. For example, some PVTGs, such as the Sentinelese of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are grappling with the challenges of a declining population.
• The Government of India has been instrumental in meeting the development needs of PVTG communities by implementing dedicated schemes since the 1990s. The Prime Minister’s Specially Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Development Mission, introduced in the Union Budget 2023–24, is an important step forward. The mission is designed to improve the socio-economic status of PVTGs and bridge the gap in health, education, livelihood, and infrastructure. Collaborating closely with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, UNDP is actively strengthening the implementation of tribal development programs and policies at both the central and state levels.

What are Scheduled Tribes?

• The term ‘Scheduled Tribe’ first appeared in the Constitution of India.
• Article 366(25) of the Constitution of India defines Scheduled Tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts or groups of such tribes or tribal communities as are, for the purposes of this Constitution, recognized as Scheduled Tribes under Article 342; it is believed.”.
• Article 342 lays down the procedure to be followed in the case of the specification of Scheduled Tribes.
• Based on the 2011 census, Scheduled Tribes constitute 8.6% of India’s population, comprising 104 million individuals.
• Provisions related to the administration of tribal areas are made in the 5th and 6th schedules of the Constitution.

What are the 5th and 6th schedules?

• The Indian Constitution defines the term “scheduled area” as the area where the tribal population resides. The central government makes special efforts to protect these scheduled areas because it is important to preserve the cultures and ethnicities of the tribal population.
• The central government also makes efforts to protect the economic interests of the tribal population in the scheduled areas. In this sequence, some special provisions have been made in the 5th Schedule and 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution regarding the scheduled areas. The 5th Schedule and 6th Schedule determine which areas fall under the classification of Scheduled Areas.
• Through the table below, you can develop an important understanding of the 5th Schedule and 6th Schedule of the Constitution:

Factor	5th Schedule	6th Schedule
Areas	The 5th Schedule protects the interests of the tribal population in all the Scheduled Areas except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.	The 6th Schedule covers the Scheduled Areas not included in the 5th Schedule, i.e. the Scheduled Areas of Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, and protects the interests of the tribal population in this area.
Powers & Responsibilities	In the Scheduled Areas covered under the 5th Schedule, the Governor of the State has special powers and responsibilities with respect to the protection of the tribal population. These responsibilities also include issuing orders restricting the effect of the actions of the state legislature.	The 6th Schedule covers areas that are subject to self-governance, i.e. tribal communities are given significant control over their own conditions, including autonomy to make laws and receive funds from the central government with respect to social and infrastructural development.
Autonomy	In case of areas falling under the 5th Schedule, the autonomy to take decisions for welfare rests with the local government or the Governor.	In case of 6th Schedule, autonomy does not depend on the local government and the Governor, hence, the principle of self-reliance is followed.
Councils	Tribes Advisory Councils	Autonomous District councils
Expression of Area	In the Constitution, the expression ‘Scheduled Areas’ means such areas as the President of India may by order declare to be Scheduled Areas.”	The Governor has the power to create a new Autonomous District/Region or alter the territorial jurisdiction or the name of any Autonomous District or Autonomous Regions.

Criteria for Identifying PVTGs

The most vulnerable among the tribals are 75 groups classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) spread across 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some standards have been set to identify them, which are as follows:

1. Pre-agricultural level of technology,
2. Low level of literacy,
3. Economic backwardness,
4. A declining or stagnant population.

What are the Characteristics of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups?

• In 1973, the Dhebar Commission recommended creating a separate category for the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), which are the least developed tribal groups.
• In 2006, the Government of India renamed PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• PVTGs have some basic characteristics: they are mostly homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically isolated, social institutions cast in a simple mold, absence of written language, relatively simple technology, slow rate of change, etc.

How many PVTGs are there in India?

• There are 75 groups of the most vulnerable sections among the tribals, who are classified as the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), spread over 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• These groups are eligible for all the development and welfare schemes that are available to all citizens of India.
• They are also eligible for the STC of the Central and State Governments, as well as the schemes implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Tribal Welfare Departments of the State Governments. See the table below for a state-wise list of PVTGs in India:

Name of the State /UT	Name of PVTGs
Andhra Pradesh	1. Bodo Gadaba 2. Bondo Poroja 3. Chenchu 4. Dongria Khond 5. Gutob Gadaba 6. Khond Poroja 7. Kolam 8. Kondareddis 9. Konda Savaras 10. Kutia Khond 11. Parengi Poroja 12. Thoti
Bihar & Jharkhand	13. Asurs 14. Birhor 15. Birjia 16. Hill Kharia 17. Korwas 18. Mal Paharia 19. Parhaiyas 20. Sauria Paharia 21. Savar
Gujarat	22. Kathodi 23. Kotwalia 24. Padhar 25. Siddi 26. Kolgha
Karnataka	27. Jenu Kuruba 28. Koraga
Kerala	29. Cholanaikayan (a section of Kattunaickans) 30. Kadar 31. Kattunayakan 32. Kurumbas 33. Koraga
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh	34. Abujh Marias 35. Baigas 36. Bharias 37. Hill Korbas 38. Kamars 39. Saharias 40. Birhor
Maharashtra	41. Katkaria (Kathodia) 42. Kolam 43. Maria Gond
Manipur	44. Marram Nagas
Orissa	45. Birhor 46. Bondo 47. Didayi 48. Dongria-Khond 49. Juangs 50. Kharias 51. Kutia Kondh 52. Lanjia Sauras 53. Lodhas 54. Mankidias 55. Paudi Bhuyans 56. Soura 57. Chuktia Bhunjia
Rajasthan	58. Seharias
Tamil Nadu	59. Kattu Nayakans 60. Kotas 61. Kurumbas 62. Irulas 63. Paniyans 64. Todas
Tripura	65. Reangs
Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand	66. Buxas 67. Rajis
West Bengal	68. Birhor 69. Lodhas 70. Totos
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	71. Great Andamanese 72. Jarawas 73. Onges 74. Sentinelese 75. Shom Pens

Growth of Scheduled Tribes in India

Census	Total population of Scheduled Tribes in lakhs	Percentage of Scheduled Tribes to Total Population
1951	225	6.23
1961	302	6.87
1971	380	6.94
1981	538	7.58
1991	678	8.08
2001	848	8.20
2011	1,043	8.61

Issues faced by PVTGs in India

There are many challenges faced by PVTGs. Some of those challenges are:

Deprived of land rights

• The PVTG has faced systematic alienation from its resources due to the declaration of conservation purposes—reserved forests and protected forests.
• For example, in 2009, 245 Baiga families were forced out of the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve when it was notified under Project Tiger.
• Furthermore, despite the enactment of the Forest Rights Act (2006), the habitat rights of PVTGs are still being confiscated in many cases.
• For example, the Mankidiya community of Odisha has been denied habitat rights in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) by the state forest department.

Illiteracy

• Although the literacy rate among many PVTGs has increased over the years, it still remains low at 30–40%. Furthermore, the decline in female literacy is a major concern.

Lack of basic surveys

• Baseline surveys are conducted to accurately identify PVTG households, their housing, and their socio-economic status so that development initiatives can be implemented for these communities based on facts and data.
• The Anthropological Survey of India has identified 75 PVTGs, of which about 40 groups declared as PVTGs still exist after the baseline survey.

Health problems

• PVTGs suffer from many health problems like anemia, malaria, gastrointestinal disorders, micronutrient deficiencies, and skin diseases due to poverty, lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation, lack of health services, superstition, and deforestation.
• Uncontacted tribal groups, such as the Sentinelese tribe of the Andamans, are also at high risk of contracting diseases when in contact with outsiders.

Discrepancy in identity

• The process for identifying PVTG varies from state to state.
• Due to the non-adoption of instructions given by the tribal ministry, no uniform principle has been adopted in the identification of PVTGs.

Livelihood issues

• Their non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection is affected due to shrinking forests, environmental changes, and forest conservation policies.
• They lack awareness about the market value of NTFPs and are exploited by middlemen.

Old list

• The Anthropological Survey of India believes that the list of PVTGs is overlapping and duplicative.
• For example, the list includes several tribes of the same group, such as Mankidia and Birhor in Odisha; both tribes refer to the same group.

Unequal benefits of welfare schemes

• In some cases, a PVTG gets benefits only in some blocks of the district, while the same group remains deprived in adjacent blocks.
• For example, Lanjiasora is recognized as a PVTG throughout Odisha, but micro-projects have been set up only in two blocks. The rest of the people of Lanjiasora are considered Scheduled Tribes (ST) and do not benefit from these projects.

Impact of developmental projects

• In 2002, a standing committee constituted by MoTA to review the ‘Development of Primitive Tribal Groups’ shared that tribal people, especially PVTGs, are most affected by developmental projects such as dams, industries, and mines.
• Although the Supreme Court of India ordered in 2002 that the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) through the Jarawa Reserve should be closed, it remains open, and tourists use it for ‘human safaris’ to the Jarawa.

Government schemes for PVTGs

The Government of India has announced the Prime Minister’s PVTG Development Mission in the Budget 2023–24. The mission aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) by saturating PVTG households and settlements with basic amenities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition, improved access to roads, telecommunication connectivity, and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. An availability of Rs 15,000 crore is envisaged from the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes for the activities to be carried out over the next three years under the Mission.

Further, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is also implementing the following schemes and programs for socio-economic development and participation of Scheduled Tribes (STs) from across the country, including STs from Odisha:

i. Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY)

ii. Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution

iii. Development of PVTGs

iv. Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organizations Working for the Welfare of STs

v. Pre-Matric Scholarship

vi. Post-Matric Scholarship

vii. National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students

viii. National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) to the ST Students for Studies Abroad

ix. Pradhan Mantri Janajatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)

x. Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)

xi. Venture Capital Funds for STs

xii. Support for TRIs

About Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)

• EMRS was started in 1997–98 to provide quality education to ST children to enable them to access the best opportunities in education and to give them the right to equal education.
• EMRS are established in the States and Union Territories with grants received under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.
• EMRS are co-educational residential schools from classes VI to XII.
• In these schools, non-ST students can be admitted to up to 10% of the total seats.
• EMRS schools provide completely free education to the students as per the CBSE syllabus.
• The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) is responsible for setting up and managing EMRS across the country. It has been established as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Important Facts about Scheduled Tribes

Fact	Description
Definition	Scheduled Tribes (STs) are indigenous communities or tribes in India recognized by the Constitution of India. They are listed in a schedule or list prepared by the President of India.
Population	As of the latest available data, STs constitute about 8.6% of India’s population, totaling around 104 million people. However, the population figures can vary based on different surveys and data sources.
Geographical Distribution	STs are spread across various states and union territories of India, with significant populations found in states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and others.
Socio-Economic Status	Historically marginalized, STs often face socio-economic challenges including poverty, lack of access to education, healthcare, and basic amenities. Efforts have been made by the government to improve their socio-economic conditions through various welfare schemes.
Cultural Diversity	India’s Scheduled Tribes consist of numerous distinct tribal groups, each with its own language, customs, traditions, and cultural practices. These communities contribute significantly to India’s cultural diversity and heritage.
Legal Safeguards	The Constitution of India provides various safeguards and affirmative actions for the welfare and development of STs, including reservations in legislative bodies, educational institutions, and government jobs.
Forest Dwellers	Many STs traditionally inhabit forest areas and are dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, recognizes their rights over forest land and resources, aiming to empower them and ensure their participation in forest governance.
Vulnerabilities	STs often face challenges such as displacement due to development projects, exploitation, land alienation, and conflicts over resources. These vulnerabilities highlight the need for targeted policies and interventions to protect their rights and well-being.

Conclusion

Understanding the dynamics of Scheduled Tribes and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups is essential for addressing the unique challenges these communities face. The government’s initiatives and missions underscore the commitment to uplift these groups, ensuring their socio-economic well-being and preserving their cultural heritage. Ongoing efforts toward inclusive development and conservation play a vital role in fostering sustainable growth for these marginalized communities.

FAQs: Characteristicsof Scheduled Tribes and PVTG: An Overview

What do you mean by PVTG?

PVTG stands for “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.” PVTGs are a specific category of tribal communities in India that face extreme vulnerability due to various factors such as socio-economic backwardness, geographical isolation, and a declining or stagnant population. There are 75 PVTGs spread across 17 states and one Union Territory in India.

What is meant by scheduled tribes?

Scheduled Tribes (STs) refer to specific ethnic or tribal communities in India that have been recognized and listed in a special schedule, known as the Schedule Tribe List, in the Constitution of India. Article 366(25) of the Indian Constitution defines Scheduled Tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts or groups of such tribes or tribal communities as are, for the purposes of this Constitution, recognized as Scheduled Tribes under Article 342.”

Which is the largest PVTG tribe in India?

The PVTG of Sahariya is the largest PVTG tribe in India. The Sahariya tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), numbering about 6.14 lakh, is spread across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

What are the criteria followed for the determination of PVTGs?

The determination of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India follows specific criteria to identify and categorize tribes facing extreme vulnerability. The criteria for the determination of PVTGs include a pre-agricultural level of technology, a low level of literacy, economic backwardness, and a declining or stagnant population.

Which ministry is under the PM PVTG scheme?

The Prime Minister’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Development Mission is under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in India. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is responsible for formulating and implementing policies and programs for the welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.