VAID'S ICS – Best UPSC Anthropology Coaching in Delhi Since 1985

Comprehensive Classroom Course · Admissions openRegister now
+91 93113 37737
  • +91-93113 37737, +91-99999 46748
  • 73(FF), Old Rajender Nagar Market, Delhi - 110060
  • MON to SUN 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Facebook Youtube Instagram
Menu
Enquire Now
Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2019/Paper II/Tribal India
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2019 15 Marks Model Answer Available

Salient Issues Faced by Pastoral Communities — 2019 Paper II

Question · 2019 · Paper II · 15 Marks

What are the salient issues faced by pastoral communities in India ? Discuss with suitable examples.

Model Answer

VAID ICS

Approach

  • Demand of Question: Identify and discuss the major ecological, economic, administrative and socio-cultural problems confronting Indian pastoral communities.
  • Structuring the Response: Link declining mobility and grazing access with livelihood, climate, education and policy issues, using community-specific examples.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Raika, Gaddi, Bakarwal, Van Gujjar, Maldhari, Changpa, grazing commons, protected areas, mobility, climate change and forest rights.

Model Answer

Introduction: Pastoral communities depend upon livestock mobility and seasonal access to dispersed grazing resources. Communities such as the Raika/Rebari, Gaddi, Bakarwal, Van Gujjar, Maldhari and Changpa represent diverse pastoral adaptations in India. Their major contemporary problem is the shrinking ecological and institutional space available for mobile pastoralism.

  1. Decline of grazing commons

Village commons, grasslands and traditional grazing routes are increasingly converted for:

  • agriculture;
  • industries;
  • infrastructure;
  • urban expansion;
  • plantations.

This reduces the pasture available to herds.

Thus:

Shrinking commons → Fodder shortage → Increased livelihood vulnerability

The Raikas of Rajasthan, for example, depend significantly upon access to common grazing landscapes.

  1. Forest and conservation restrictions

Many pastoralists traditionally migrate through forest landscapes.

Protected-area regulations may restrict:

  • grazing;
  • seasonal movement;
  • access to water;
  • collection of forest resources.

Van Gujjars associated with the Uttarakhand forest region and Maldharis of Gujarat illustrate tensions between pastoral livelihood and conservation policies.

  1. Disruption of migratory routes

Roads, fencing, settlements, cultivation and administrative boundaries interrupt traditional transhumant corridors.

The Gaddis and Bakarwals depend upon seasonal movement between lowland winter pastures and high-altitude summer grazing grounds.

Hence:

Blocked migration route → Reduced mobility → Ecological imbalance

  1. Climate change

Pastoralists are highly exposed to climatic variability.

Changes in:

  • rainfall;
  • snowfall;
  • drought frequency;
  • pasture productivity;
  • water availability

alter seasonal migration schedules.

The Changpa pastoralists of Ladakh, dependent upon high-altitude rangelands and pashmina-producing goats, are particularly sensitive to severe winters and changing pasture conditions.

  1. Livestock and market problems

Pastoralists face:

  • rising fodder costs;
  • fluctuating livestock prices;
  • weak market access;
  • dependence on middlemen;
  • inadequate veterinary services.

Traditional breeds may also decline when development policies prioritize commercially standardized livestock.

  1. Land and tenure insecurity

Many pastoralists use land through customary and seasonal rights rather than individual ownership titles.

As a result, their grazing territories may be officially classified as:

  • forest land;
  • government land;
  • wasteland.

Their actual use rights can therefore remain invisible in formal land records.

  1. Education and healthcare

Mobile lifestyles create difficulties in accessing fixed services.

Children may face interruption in schooling because families migrate seasonally, while remote migration routes limit access to healthcare.

Thus:

Mobile livelihood + Sedentary service delivery → Social exclusion

  1. Sedentarization pressures

Government policy has often implicitly viewed settled agriculture as more “developed” than pastoral mobility.

Forced or induced sedentarization can:

  • increase pressure on local pastures;
  • undermine herd management;
  • weaken traditional institutions;
  • produce wage dependence.

Anthropologically, mobility is not backwardness but an adaptive strategy to variable environments.

  1. Social and political invisibility

Pastoral populations may cross:

  • district boundaries;
  • state boundaries;
  • ecological zones.

This makes access to identity documents, welfare schemes and political representation difficult.

  1. Forest rights and recognition

The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognizes rights relevant to pastoral and nomadic communities, including customary access to seasonal resources.

However, implementation remains uneven.

Way forward

Pastoral development requires:

  • legal protection of grazing commons;
  • recognition of migratory corridors;
  • mobile schools and healthcare;
  • veterinary support;
  • secure customary rights;
  • participation in conservation;
  • livestock-market infrastructure.

Thus:

Mobility protection + Grazing rights + Services + Market support → Sustainable pastoralism

Conclusion

The central challenge faced by Indian pastoralists is the mismatch between a mobile livelihood system and policies designed around sedentary land use. Protecting grazing commons, migratory routes and customary rights while improving education, healthcare and markets is essential for sustaining pastoralism as a viable ecological and cultural adaptation.

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.

Want feedback on your answer?

Join the Anthropology workshop or get structured answer-writing guidance from VAID ICS.

Join Workshop Contact VAID ICS

UPSC Anthropology Optional 2019 — Paper II

28 questions

5(c) Anthropological understanding of communalism.

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 9.3 Contributions of anthropology to the understanding of regionalism, communalism and ethnic and political movements
2019Paper IIEthnicity, Tribal Movements & Social ChangeModel answer available

5(a) Ethnicity and regionalism.

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.3 The concept of ethnicity > Regionalism and demand for autonomy
2019Paper IIEthnicity, Tribal Movements & Social ChangeModel answer available

5(d) Issues relating to tribal education.

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 6.2 Problems of the tribal communities > Low literacy and poor educational facilities
2019Paper IITribal Problems & DisplacementModel answer available