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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2017/Paper II/Tribal India
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2017 20 Marks Model Answer Available

‘Tribe’ in India Compared With ‘Indigenous’ — 2017 Paper II

Question · 2017 · Paper II · 20 Marks

Critically evaluate the term 'tribe' (as used in India) as compared to the term 'indigenous' in some other countries.

Model Answer

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Approach

  • Demand of Question:Compare the genealogy, criteria and political-legal implications of “tribe/Scheduled Tribe” in India with “indigenous peoples” in international and settler-colonial contexts; avoid treating the terms as synonyms.
  • Structuring the Response:Indian colonial/constitutional category -> international indigenous concept -> systematic comparison -> debates over autochthony and diversity -> balanced judgment.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover:colonial tribe classifications, Article 342/Scheduled Tribe as legal-administrative category; Lokur-style criteria historically used but not constitutional definition; ILO 169/UNDRIP self-identification, historical continuity, distinct institutions and dispossession; settler colonial contexts; Xaxa Committee; “Adivasi” politics; limits of primordiality.

Model Answer

Introduction The terms “tribe” (as used in India) and “indigenous peoples” (in international usage) often overlap in their experiences of cultural distinctiveness, territorial attachment, and historical marginalization. However, treating them as interchangeable obscures their distinct historical trajectories, legal frameworks, and political meanings.

Body (Draw a Comparison Table or Venn Diagram: INDIA “Scheduled Tribe” - Article 342, state-specific legal schedule, heterogeneous histories. OTHER CONTEXTS “Indigenous” - self-identification, pre-settler continuity, UNDRIP. Overlapping Center: identity, territory, marginalization.)

  1. The Indian Category: Tribe / Scheduled Tribe
  • Colonial and Constitutional Origins: Colonial censuses classified populations using shifting labels like "animists" or "primitive tribes." Independent India formalized this into a constitutional category under Article 342, specifying "Scheduled Tribes" (ST) for affirmative action.
  • Heterogeneity: The Constitution does not define a universal anthropological “tribe.” Historically, administrative identification (like the Lokur Committee criteria) relied on traits like geographical isolation and socio-economic backwardness. However, Indian STs are highly heterogeneous, including shifting cultivators, urban professionals, and Hindu- or Christian-influenced communities, meaning "isolation" is not an essential property.
  1. The International Category: Indigenous Peoples
  • Settler-Colonial Context: In countries like Australia, Canada, and the Americas, “indigenous” refers to populations that preceded settler colonization and suffered direct territorial dispossession and political subordination.
  • Rights Discourse: Frameworks like ILO 169 and UNDRIP (2007) emphasize self-identification, historical continuity, and collective rights to land, culture, and political participation.
  1. Key Differences & Critical Evaluation
  • Legal vs. Political Identity: ST in India is a state-recognized constitutional schedule primarily for protective/affirmative rights. "Indigeneity" is a broader political identity and international rights discourse grounded in self-identification.
  • The Autochthony Debate: Unlike the Americas, Indian history lacks a single, continent-wide settler/indigenous binary. Populations have migrated and assimilated over millennia, making biological "first inhabitant" claims difficult to establish.
  • Adivasi Politics: Despite these academic distinctions, the term “Adivasi” (original inhabitant) has become a powerful, self-ascribed political tool for Indian tribal movements asserting rights over land, forests, and historical injustices.

Conclusion As the Xaxa Committee notes, defining tribes by what they "lack" (civilization, literacy) reproduces colonial hierarchies. Conversely, romanticizing indigenous ecological purity freezes them outside history. Anthropologically, following Fredrik Barth, identities are about maintained boundaries. Therefore, while “Scheduled Tribe” is indispensable for Indian constitutional protection, the “indigenous” framework provides a vital global language for collective rights. A nuanced anthropology must contextualize both, avoiding biological essentialism while recognizing historical marginalization.

2026 Dravidian language family and its tribal speakers. 2026 Buddhist tribes of India. 2026 Nature-Man-Spirit-Complex. 2026 Make a critical appraisal of Surajit Sinha's line of argument that tribes and castes may not be isolated social categories, but are a part of the great Indian civilization.

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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2017 — Paper II

28 questions

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10 Marks150 words
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10 Marks150 words
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10 Marks150 words
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10 Marks150 words
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