A recent Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) publication has brought to the fore startling revelations about the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country.
What the finding has revealed?
The publication provides one of the most detailed descriptions of PVTGs with each of the tribes being discussed in separate chapters.
The findings revealed that, for the 75 PVTGs, base line surveys exists only for about 40 groups.
Base line surveys are done to precisely identify the PVTG families, their habitat and socio-economic status, so that development initiatives are implemented for these communities, based on the facts and figures.
It emphasizes State govts must urgently conduct such surveys to arrive at accurate demographic and socio-economic figures of the PVTGs.
Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12).
All the 4 tribal groups in Andamans, and 1 in Nicobar Islands, are recognised as PVTGs.
The publication also points out that the PVTG list requires revising and refinement to avoid overlapping and repetition.
Regional and State-specific variations in welfare schemes for PVTGs has also been highlighted.
There is a huge variation in the number of PVTGs ranging from a few individuals as in case of Great Andamanese to about a little more than a thousand people as in the case of Toda of Nilgiris.
Although PVTGs are slowly witnessing decadal increase in their population, quite a few still face stagnation such as the Birhor in central India. Some are declining like the Onge and Andamanese.
Smallest population size among the PVTGs are the Senteneles (as per the last contact effort on 2005, groups of 32 and 13 persons were sighted at different places).
The Great Andamanese (57 persons) and the Onge (107 persons in 2012 as per Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti) are also dwindling.
The Saharia people of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are the largest among the PVTGs with population more than 4 lakhs.
Literacy rate among the PVTGs has gone up significantly over the past from single digit to 30 to 40 % in many of the PVTGs.
However, as is the case with entire India, female literacy rate is still considerably lower compared to male counterpart.
There is a considerable increase in the age of marriage among PVTGs.
The incidence of girl child being married while still being a minor, among these tribes has been decreasing.
