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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2023/Paper II/Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2023 20 Marks Model Answer Available

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and Special Programmes — 2023 Paper II

Question · 2023 · Paper II · 20 Marks

Elucidate the problems faced by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and the major challenges in the formulation of special programmes for their development.

Model Answer

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Introduction Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) constitute the most marginalized section within the Scheduled Tribes of India. Originally identified by the Dhebar Commission (1973), there are 75 such groups across 18 states and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. They are characterized by a pre-agricultural level of technology, stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and a subsistence economy.

Part 1: Anthropological Critique: Why "Primitive" was Erroneous

The nomenclature was officially changed from "Primitive Tribal Groups" (PTGs) to PVTGs in 2006. Anthropologists strongly advocated for this change due to several fundamental flaws in the term "primitive":

  • Victorian Evolutionary Bias: The term "primitive" is rooted in the outdated unilineal cultural evolution theories of 19th-century anthropologists like E.B. Tylor and L.H. Morgan, which placed human societies on a single ladder from "savagery" to "civilization." It implied that these tribes were culturally inferior or "left behind."
  • Violation of Cultural Relativism: As advocated by Franz Boas, every culture must be understood on its own terms. The term confused technological simplicity with intellectual, moral, or cognitive backwardness. For instance, the Sentinelese possess complex ecological knowledge despite simple technology.
  • Ignoring Historical Dispossession: Calling them "primitive" froze them outside history. It ignored the fact that many of these groups (like the Birhors) were not inherently isolated but were historically pushed into marginal geographies by expanding agrarian states and colonial forestry laws.
  • Blaming the Victim: The term converted a state of socio-economic vulnerability—often produced by unequal power relations and structural exclusion—into an essential, inherent trait of the community. "Vulnerable" correctly shifts the focus to their relationship with the state and modern economy.

Part 2: Recent Welfare Measures for PVTGs

The government has shifted from a purely isolationist or assimilationist approach to a more targeted, rights-based development model:

  • PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan): Launched in 2023 with a massive outlay of ₹24,104 crore, it aims at the "saturation" of PVTG habitations through 11 critical interventions, including housing, safe water, telecommunications, electricity, and mobile medical units.
  • Conservation-cum-Development (CCD) Plans: 100% central assistance is provided for micro-projects tailored to specific PVTG habitats, focusing on livelihood, health, and education.
  • Rights-Based Interventions (FRA 2006 & PESA): The Forest Rights Act explicitly recognizes "Habitat Rights" for PVTGs, acknowledging their traditional territoriality and biocultural landscapes.
  • Health and Nutrition: Targeted interventions like the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, mobile health units, and customized nutrition services aim to address their specific bio-cultural vulnerabilities.
  • Economic Empowerment: Institutions like TRIFED and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras aim to provide fair markets for their Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP).

Part 3: Critical Anthropological Assessment

While the shift towards targeted welfare is commendable, anthropologists highlight several structural and implementation issues (the Etic vs. Emic disconnect):

  • Development as Administrative Targets, Not Cultural Landscapes: PM-JANMAN's infrastructure targets often treat dispersed forest habitats as mere "administrative gaps" to be filled with concrete roads and standard houses, ignoring traditional architectural knowledge and the socio-religious significance of their spatial organization.
  • Failure in Recognizing Habitat Rights: While FRA 2006 promises Habitat Rights, actual implementation is dismal. Simultaneously, development-induced displacement (mining, conservation projects) continues to sever their symbiotic relationship with nature.
  • Bio-Cultural Mismatch in Health & Education: Uniform Ashram schools and standardized health counseling often ignore indigenous languages and traditional food systems. Standardized schooling without mother-tongue instruction leads to cultural alienation.
  • Commodification of Traditional Economy: Integrating PVTGs into market-oriented livelihood schemes (without community control over value chains) risks destroying their historically "embedded economies" (Karl Polanyi), transforming independent foragers into dependent wage laborers.
  • Data Deficit: Aggregated data often masks intra-PVTG diversity. The vulnerabilities of the Cholanaikkans of Kerala are vastly different from the Sahariyas of Madhya Pradesh, demanding micro-regional planning rather than pan-India standardized templates.

Way Forward and Conclusion

The welfare of PVTGs requires a shift from paternalistic protection to empowering autonomy. As per the Elwin-Nehruvian Tribal Panchsheel, development must be built on their own genius. Planning must be micro-regional, emic (insider-perspective), and led by the Gram Sabhas. Ensuring strict implementation of Habitat Rights, integrating indigenous knowledge into health and education, and mandating Cultural Impact Assessments before infrastructure projects are essential to achieve genuine "nutritional and developmental justice" without cultural ethnocide.

2026 Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India. 2026 Article 371A of the Indian Constitution. 2026 Discuss the impact of democratic institutions on the tribal populations of India. 2026 Write an account on Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).

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