Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India : PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q 4 / 11

UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India :

PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct.

Statement 1: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are distributed across 18 States and one Union Territory, specifically the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This geographical spread encompasses various regions of India.
Statement 2: A stagnant or declining population is a key criterion for identifying a tribal community as a PVTG. Other criteria include a pre-agricultural level of technology, extremely low literacy levels, and a subsistence-level economy. These criteria were initially recommended by the Dhebar Commission (1960-61).
Statement 4: Both the Irular tribe, predominantly found in Tamil Nadu, and the Konda Reddi tribe, residing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are officially recognized and listed among the PVTGs in India.

Statement 3: The total number of officially notified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country is 75, not 95. These 75 groups are spread across 18 states and one Union Territory.

SOURCEEnvironment by Shankar IAS, Chapter: Tribal Communities, India Year Book [Year], Chapter: Social Welfare