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Enumerating Most Vulnerable Tribes Separately
Context: In a significant move, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has formally requested the Registrar General of India (RGI) to conduct a separate enumeration of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the upcoming Census.
Who are PVTGs?
- A Sub-Category: Most vulnerable among the Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Identification Criteria: Stagnant or declining population, pre-agrarian levels of technology (hunting-gathering), extremely low literacy, and economic backwardness.
- Historical Background: The concept originated from the 1961 Dhebar Commission, which highlighted the developmental disparities among different tribal groups.
- Initially, 52 groups were identified as “Primitive Tribal Groups” during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-78).
- The number was later expanded to 75 groups in 2006.
- Geographical Spread: These 75 groups are spread across 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
What are the Reasons for Enumerating PVTGs Separately?
- Plugging Data Deficiency: Capture detailed data on PVTG households, individuals, and their unique demographic and socio-economic characteristics.
- Bringing Scheme Coherence: Enhance the precision and effectiveness of targeted welfare schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), ensuring that development reaches the most marginalised communities.
- Precision in Policy Implementation: Exact data on population, location, and household details will allow for precise targeting of welfare schemes, ensuring resources reach the intended beneficiaries without leakage or exclusion.
- Assessing Developmental Progress: Separate data will help the government and researchers track changes in key indicators like literacy, health, and economic status over time, evaluating the impact of past interventions.
- Re-evaluating the PVTG Classification: The data will help understand if the decades-old criteria for classifying a group as a PVTG are still relevant. It can identify groups that may have improved and those that need continued or enhanced support.
- Addressing Administrative Gaps: Many PVTGs are not listed separately in the ST list and are grouped under a broader nomenclature. A separate count will finally give them a distinct identity in the national dataset, which is crucial for administrative planning.
What Measures Have Been Taken for the Upliftment of PVTGs?
- PM-JANMAN Scheme: It is a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving socio-economic conditions by providing secure housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, electricity, education, and healthcare connectivity to PVTG habitations.
- Development of PVTGs Scheme: A dedicated Central Sector Scheme that funds projects for habitat development, infrastructure creation (schools, hostels, roads), and economic activities tailored to the specific needs of different PVTG communities.
- Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS): This scheme provides grants to states to fill critical gaps in infrastructure and development projects in tribal areas, including those inhabited by PVTGs.
