Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:
PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
1, 2 and 3
2, 3 and 4
1, 2 and 4
1, 3 and 4
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. India has 75 identified PVTGs distributed across 18 States and one Union Territory, namely the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The official information issued by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in July 2019 also confirms this geographical distribution.
Statement 2 is correct. The Government has specified four major criteria for identifying a tribal community as a PVTG—pre-agricultural level of technology, low level of literacy, economic backwardness, and a declining or stagnant population. Therefore, a stagnant or declining population is indeed one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
Statement 3 is incorrect. India has 75, not 95, identified PVTGs. Hence, the figure of 95 given in the statement is incorrect. Official information of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in 2019 clearly mentioned 75 identified PVTGs.
Statement 4 is correct. Both Irular and Konda Reddi are included in the official list of PVTGs. In the government list, Konda Reddi is listed under Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana in the then consolidated list), while Irular is listed under Tamil Nadu.
Important Facts
PVTGs are communities within the Scheduled Tribes that are considered comparatively more socio-economically vulnerable. In addition to general tribal welfare programmes, special development interventions are provided for them. The Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups scheme aims to support them in areas such as education, housing, land development, agriculture, animal husbandry, road connectivity and social security, while also preserving their culture and heritage