CHAPTER - 4

TRIBES IN INDIA

Definition of Tribes of India make up the north and north-

eastern zone. Numerous tribal group are

in India living in this zone including Nagas tribes

around state of Nagaland, Tharu in
Uttar Pradesh and Lechas in the Sikkim.
• The term ‘Tribe’ refers to a group of This area marks sparse population
people living in primitive or barbarous density, most of the tribes are engaged
conditions. Article 366 (25) defined in terrace or shifting cultivation.
Scheduled Tribes as “such tribes or
tribal communities or parts of or groups • Central Zone: Central zone comprises
within such tribes or tribal communities of hilly belt and plateaus till the
as are deemed under Article 342 to be Gangetic plain at its northern part and
Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of Krishna river at its southern portion.
this Constitution”. Tribal groups in this zone mostly come
from the state of Madhya Pradesh,
• This Article says that only those Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Orissa.
communities who have been declared Some important tribal group of this zone
as such by the President through an include Gond, Bhil, Santhal and Munda.
initial public notification or through a
subsequent amending Act of Parliament • Southern Zone: This region falls south
will be considered to be Scheduled of Krishna river from Wayanad to
Tribes. The important characteristics, Kanyakumari. In this region, the tribal
first laid down by the Lokur Committee, population occupy parts of Andhra
for a community to be identified as Pradesh, Travancore, Coorg, Karnataka,
Scheduled Tribes (STs) are Tamil Nadu and Cochin. Tribes such
as Yeruva, Chenchu, Paniyan, Irulaand
» Distinctive culture Kurumba reside here. Some primitive
tribes such as the Kadar, Malvadan,
» Indications of primitive traits
Kanikkar, and Malakuravan live in these
» Geographical isolation dense forest.
» Shyness of contact with the community • Several of Indian tribes are non-nomadic
at large in nature, many tribes take residence in
» Backwardness forest areas or clusters in villages in the
vicinity of forests.

Geographical Tribal Population Distribution:

distribution of tribes • There are about 550 Schedule Tribes in

in India India, as per census 2011 the number of

Scheduled Tribes was approximately
Geographical distribution of tribes in India 10.42 crores almost 8.6% of population
can be classified into three broad zones. of India out of this approximately 9.38
crore lived in rural areas, and 1.04 crore
• Northern and North-Eastern: Sub- lived in urban areas. The Scheduled
Himalayan region and hills at the frontier

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 Tribes comprised approximately 11.3
% of total population of rural areas
Challenges faced by
and approximately 2.8 % of urban
areas.
the Tribals
• States and Union territories having • Land Alienation: Since the time of
maximum ratio of Scheduled Tribes British, tribal people were deprived
as per census 2011 were Lakshadweep of their ancestral land rights. Tribal
(94.8%) > Mizoram (94.4%) > Nagaland lands were occupied by moneylenders
(86.5%) > Meghalaya (86.1%) > zamindars and traders, they were
Arunachal Pradesh (68.8%). further distressed by mining in their
areas. The excessive dependence of
tribal communities on land for their

Particularly
livelihood and employment makes land
alienation and landlessness a major

Vulnerable Tribal livelihood concern of the tribes.

• Poverty and Indebtness: The exclusive
Groups (PVTGs) dependence of tribe upon the size
of land holding meant any loss of
• Tribal communities can be often land not only reduce their income
identified by some specific sign such but also forced them into poverty. In
as primitive traits, distinctive culture spite of various efforts to solve the
geographical isolation etc. In addition problem by way of poverty, alleviation
to these some tribal group have some programme, employment generation
specific features such as pre-agriculture and rural development programme, it is
level of technology, zero or negative increasing day by day and spreading
growth of population and extremely among people.
low level of literacy. These groups are • Health and Nutrition: The malnutrition
known as particularly vulnerable tribal in tribal people is more than among the
group (PVTG). non-tribal population. Their intake of
• PVTG constitutes more vulnerable various nutrient such as protein calories
among tribal groups. Total of 75 PVTG and vitamin have decreased in the last
are there out of 705 Scheduled Tribes decade. Also, the tribal people known
spread over 17 states and one union as easy prey to addictive substances.
territory. • Cultural Problem: The tribal languages
• Government of India follows the are facing the risk of extinction. The
following criteria for the identification imitation of different cultures by tribal
of PVTGs: people has led to degeneration of their
culture and arts such as dance, music,
» Pre-agriculture level of technology; and different types of craft.
» Low level of literacy; • Problem associated with Migration: Many
» Economic Backwardness; and tribal concentration region and states
have also been experiencing the problem
» A declining or stagnant population. of heavy migration. Almost 55% of the
tribal population lives outside 809 tribal
majority block. Due to the lack of proper
rehabilitation during displacement, there
is loss of social capital and community
bond among tribals.

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• Other Important Challenges: Gains and Losses of Globalization
» Since independence, due to • Globalisation affects tribals
construction of over 1500 major differently. Urban and educated
irrigation development projects, over tribals may benefit from the increased
16 million peoples have been displaced opportunities for work that come
which constitutes about 40 percent of with the influx of foreign companies
the tribal population. and investments. These employment
avenues are complemented by greater
» The powerful transnational lobbies
opportunities to receive education
pressurize the government to transfer
and skills training of a higher quality.
control over resources from Adivasis to
private and global industry stakeholders. • The new technologies that define this
era, in particular the computer and
» Violation of the people’s Constitutional
Internet may be accessible to this
rights: Violation of the 5th Schedule has
group of tribal people. Conversely,
occurred in many Indian states like in
poor, uneducated, credit-constrained,
Andhra Pradesh where the Land Transfer
informal and agricultural sector tribal
Regulation Act was ignored while giving
will benefit in a much less direct
mining leases in scheduled regions to
manner. Tribals in general benefit from
private companies. Private mining has
long-term economic growth brought
been taking place in Madhya Pradesh,
about by correcting price distortions
Rajasthan, Odisha, Maharashtra and
in factor and product market.
other Fifth Schedule state.
• Tribals just become wage labourer in
the industries and service sector as
Case studies they do not possess the relevant skills.
• Narmada dam creates imbalances • Increased environmental degradation
between tribes: Living in the mountains and climate change has led to
and plains of the Narmada river valley, disproportionate impact on forest
which stretches for 1,300 kilometres dwelling tribals. Ex: Tribal population
across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and declined during the 2004 Tsunami.
Maharashtra, natural resource-based
communities face displacement,
state repression, and natural resource
degradation as a result of the Status in terms of
•
Narmada Valley development project.
Radiation from uranium mines in
Education, Health
Jharkhand village: Uranium mined
from Jadugoda, and at Ghatshila and
and Employment
jamshedpur is used in making fuel Health problems faced by Tribals: Tribal
pellets that fire the reactor in nuclear communities in India have poor health
power plants. Villages nearby the indicators, greater burden of morbidity and
mines are affected by the radioactive mortality.
waste generated by the plant. There • Life Expectancy: The estimated life
was a substantial increase in the expectancy at birth for ST population is
children with handicapped bones and 63.9 year as against 67 years for general
damaged joints in the area. population, however child deaths are
under reported amongst tribal more
often than in general population.
• Reproductive, Maternal, New Born,
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 Child Health and Adolescents percent in different communities. The
(RMNCH+A) another genetic disease prevalent
in many tribal group in India is the
» Maternal Health: Alarmingly almost Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
50% adolescent ST girls between age of (G6PD) deficiency.
15 and 19 years are underweight, NFHS 3
• Malnutrition: The percentage of ST
shows that 65% tribal women in the 15-
children underweight has reduced from
49 years age group suffer from anemia
54.5 % in NFHS -3 (2005-06) to 42% in
as against 46.9% in non-ST women.
NFHS-4 (2015-16), however compared
» Child Mortality: As per NFHS-4, the to other social groups tribal children
estimated IMR for ST population in 2014 continue to be the most malnourished.
was 44.4 the year 1-4 mortality rate was
• Educational status of tribes in India
13.4 and under-five MR was 57.2 per 1000
live births. Tribal IMR over the period of » Literacy Trend: Percentage of literacy
26 year (1988-2014 ) has halved reduced of tribes was only 8.54 percent in 1961
from 90 to 44. which increased to 63.11 percent in 2011,
» Reproductive Health: The NFHS-4 but female literacy is only 54.4 percent
data has revealed that the TFR for STs compared to male literacy of 71.7 percent.
had come down to 2.5, close to the » Enrollment Ratio: Gross enrollment ratio
replacement level of 2.1. Contraceptive of ST boys is higher as compare to ST
use among the ST population (41%) at girls in all classes. The gross enrollment
an all India level has been close to non- ratio is greater in class I to V which is
ST population. 137.2 for ST boys and 136.7 for ST girls
however it is only 90.7 and 87 in class VI
• Diseases Burden: While malnutrition to VIII.
and communicable diseases like
malaria and tuberculosis continues » Dropout Ratio: Dropout rate of ST
to be rampant, rapid urbanization, children are higher as compared to all
environmental distress and changing children in India. According to statics of
lifestyle have resulted in a rise of school education 2010-11 drop out rate
prevalence of non-communicable among ST boys and girls was 70.6 and
diseases like cancer, hypertension and 71.3 compared to 50.4 for all India boys
diabetes for class I - X.

» Communicable diseases: The tribal • Employment Status

population has a disproportionate
burden of communicable diseases. Tribal » The unemployment rate among
communities constitute around 30% of Scheduled Tribes has increased in
all cases of malaria and around 60% urban and rural areas between 2004-
of P. falciparum and as 50% mortality 05 and 2011-12, according to figures in
associated with malaria. Pulmonary the NSSO’s report on Employment and
tuberculosis in tribal communities is Unemployment among Social Groups in
significantly higher than rest of the 2011-12.
country 703 against 256 per 100,000. » Unemployment among urban Scheduled
Tribe men increased from 2.9 percent
• Non-communicable diseases: One in 2004-05 to 3.4 per cent in 2011-12,
out of every four tribal adults suffers while in the case of urban Scheduled
hypertension, prevalence of sickle cell Tribe women, it increased from 3.4
diseases (anemia and trait together) per cent to 4.8 percent over the same
and thalassemia varies between 1-40 period. In rural areas, unemployment

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 rate for Scheduled Tribe men increased Lesson that were learned from Tribal
from 1.1 per cent to 1.3 percent and for Panchsheel
Scheduled Tribe women from 0.4 per
cent to 1.1 percent. 1. Tribal people should be given a right
to choose the kind of work that they
want to do.
2. Integrating tribal people with
Tribal Panchsheel neighbouring people can save tribals
Tribal Panchsheel: Tribal Panchasheel from exploitation by outsiders.
was given by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru the first 3. Tribal people needs to be served with
Prime Minister of India in the year 1958. dedicated spirits.
Following are five principle for the policy to
be pursued vis-a-vis the tribals:-
Constitutional provision for the
• Individuals should develop along the tribal people in India
lines of their own genius, and the
imposition of alien values should be The Scheduled Tribes have been the
avoided. most marginalized, isolated and deprived
population. For safeguarding and
• Tribal rights in land and forests should promoting interest and rights of the
be protected. Scheduled Tribes in various spheres several
• Tribal teams should be trained in the provision have been incorporated in the
work of development and administration Constitution.
• Tribal regions should not be over • Definition and specification of STs:
administered or overwhelmed with a
multiplicity of schemes. » Article 342 provides for the declaration
• Outcomes should be judged not by of a specific tribes as Scheduled Tribes
statistics or the amount of money spent, and Article 366 provide definition of
but by the human character that is Scheduled Tribes as incorporated in the
evolved. Article 342 of the Constitution.

• Public Employment related safeguards:

Significance of Tribal » Article 335 provides for the claims of the
Panchsheel: scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes
to services and posts.
1. Tribal panchsheel was the one that
shaped tribal policy in the 1950s. • Political Provisions:
2. Tribal panchsheel tried to balance
the extremes of two standpoint, one
» Article 330: Provides for the reservation
of seats for scheduled castes and
was anthropological approach that
Scheduled Tribes in the parliament.
treated tribals as musuem species for
their study and observation and other » Article 332: Provides for reservation
which sought to assimilate them fully in of seats for scheduled castes and
society destroying. Scheduled Tribes in the legislative
assemblies of the states.
» Article 243D: Provides for reservation
of seats for scheduled castes and
Scheduled Tribes in every panchayat, it
also makes provision for reservation of

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 post of the chairperson in the panchayat Denotified nomadic and semi-nomadic
for Scheduled Tribes and women. tribes has been identified as the most
marginalized by several commissions,
• Provision for a National Commission these communities were once branded
for ST as criminals under the colonial criminal
tribes act of 1871, the communities
» Article 338 A provides for National were Denotified in 1952. The National
commission for scheduled Tribe, it also Commission for Denotified, Nomadic
makes provision for structure of the and Semi-nomadic was set up
commission. under the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment to study various
• Some other Constitutional and
developmental aspects of Denotified,
legislative provisions:
Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic tribe in
» Article 46 specifically directs the State India.
to promote educational and economic • Development of PVTGs: Ministry of
interests of the weaker section. Tribal Affairs implements the scheme of
» Reservation in educational institution “Development of PVTGs” which covers
have been provides under article 15(4), 75 PVTGs for their comprehensive
while reservation in posts and services socio-economic development, under
has been provided in article 16(4), 16(4A) this scheme state government submits
and 16(4B) of the Constitution. Conservation-cum-development(CCD)
plans on the basis of their requirements
» Article 275(1) provides Grants in-Aids and 100% grants-in-aid are made
to States (having scheduled tribes) available to states as per the provision
covered under fifth and six schedules of of the scheme
the Constitution.
• Forest Rights Act-2006: The Act
» The Scheduled Tribes (STs) and recognizes and vest the forest right
other traditional forest dwellers act and occupation in forest land in forest
recognizes and vest the forest rights dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other
and occupation in forest land to forest traditional forest dwellers. The Act
dwelling Scheduled Tribes. also establishes the responsibility
» Under Schedule V of the Constitution and authority for sustainable use,
the Governor of state having Scheduled conservation of biodiversity and
Areas is empowered to prohibit or restrict maintenance of ecological balance of
transfer of land from tribal and regulate Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes.
the allotment of land to members of • SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities
Scheduled Tribes in such cases. (Amendment) Act, 2015 was introduced
» The Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 to make the Act more stringent. It
offers for legal services to members of recognized more instances of atrocities
Scheduled Tribes. as crimes against SCs and STs, defined
the term willful negligence in context of
public servant at all level.

Recent laws made for » Later in the 2018 SC judgement, the

court introduced some safeguards.
the Scheduled Tribes It provided for preliminary enquiry
to be conducted in all cases before
• Commission for Denotified, Semi registration of FIRs and a person can be
Nomadic, and Nomadic Tribe: arrested by an investigating officer only

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 if the appointing authority or the SP and provided with working capital to
approves such an arrest. It also provided increase value to the product, which
for allowing advance bail if there is no they collect from the jungle, Van Dhan
merit in a complaint. Vikas Kendra will be established, these
» In response to this dilution parliament kendras will be having processing facility
introduced section 18A to overturn for tamarind brick making, mahua
safeguards introduced by the supreme flower storage facility and chironjee
court, it removed the criteria of cleaning and packaging.
preliminary enquiry and the approval • GOAL (Going Online as Leaders)
of appointing authority or SP, the programme: It is launched by Ministry
parliament also removed the provision of Tribal Affairs in partnership with
of advance bail. Facebook. The GOAL programme is
» Recently in Prithvi Raj Chauhan case, intended to provide mentorship to tribal
2020 the Supreme court has upheld the youth through digital mode.
Constitutional validity of Section 18A. • Eklavya Model Residential Schools: it is
implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Inapplicability of CAA to North East: in tribal areas for providing education
The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 on pattern of Navodya Vidyalaya,
that aim to provide citizenship to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and
non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, the Kendriya Vidyalaya, EMRSs are
Bangladesh and Afghanistan has been set up in States/UTs with grants under
made inapplicable to 6th scheduled Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.
areas and areas having Inner Line
Permit (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
• Empowering Tribals, Transforming
India: It is online performance
Mizoram and Manipur)
dashboard under Digital India towards
Recent Important Initiatives for Tribal empowering STs and will bring efficiency
Population: and transparency.
• Swasthya Portal: it is an e-portal on
tribal health and nutrition which will be
providing all health and nutrition related
information of the tribal population of Important
india in a single platform.
• 1000 Springs Inititative: The Initiative
Suggestions and
is aimed at improving access to safe Way Forward:
and adequate water for the tribal
It is generally accepted that, over the
communities living in difficult and
past six decades a large section of the
inaccessible parts of rural areas in
Indian population, particularly the tribal
the country. It is launched by Ministry
communities, have not received the full
of Tribal Affairs, an online portal on
advantages of development processes
GIS based spring atlas has also been
undertaken. Therefore government
launched.
constituted a High-Level Committee (HLC)
• Van Dhan Yojana: Emphasizing the in 2013, under chairmanship of Prof.
important role of value addition in Virginius Xaxa which recommended many
increasing tribal income, the scheme is suggestions.
being implemented by Ministry of Tribal
Affairs and TRIFED, under van dhan • Related to legal and administrative
10 self help groups of 30 tribals will be framework
gathered and then they will be trained
» Policies and laws enacted by Parliament
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 to be made applicable in the 5th and 6th recognised.
Schedule of the Constitution related to » Government should make legal
Schedule areas only through discretion provisions to return unutilised tribal land
of the Governor of the state, who must be for its acquired purpose or to utilize it to
advised by the Tribes Advisory Council resettle displaced tribal people.
on applicability or non-applicability of
said policy or the law. » Government should empower gram
sabhas plenary powers to fight
» The regions where tribal people are various cases of tribal land alienation
sizeable in number in villages should collectively.
be brought under scheduled areas,
particularly in states like Kerala, Tamil » Government should also enable gram
Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, and sabhas to prevent land alienation
Goa. (through the Samantha judgement
and PESA Act) and create Registered
» Autonomous Councils must be covered Scheduled Tribe Co-operative Societies
under State Finance Commission (SFCs), to take up mining activities in Scheduled
and not left at the arbitrary mercy of Areas.
the State government for funding.
• Related to legal and Constitutional
• Related to livelihoods and employment issues
status
» Government should implement
» Set up labour-intensive processing community forest rights and recognise
industries and agro-based training various community forest rights and
institutions and in tribal areas. Farmers in rights of vulnerable communities like
tribal communities should be motivated pastoralist communities and particularly
to undertake eco-forestry and organic vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs).
farming. Importance should be given
to water management and micro » Government needs to remove
watershed development programmes. contradictory processes such as
diversion of forest land that hampers
» Extend credit and other marketing implementation of the protective
facilities to the tribal people. The credit provisions under the FRA.
policy must be on par with other social
groups.
Tribal people are part of the Indian society,
» Government should ensure participation
at the same time they are different.
of tribal population in protection and
Age old exploitation and repression of
management of forests. The newly
the tribal population, have cut them off
acquired land under FRA (Forest Rights
from the main stream of socio-economic
Act, 2006) should be used for forestry
development of the country as a whole.
rather than other food grain cultivation
The tribal population is identified as the
activities.
aboriginal inhabitants of our country.
• Related to land alienation, They are most vulnerable section of our
displacement and enforced migration society living in natural and unpolluted
surrounding far away from civilization with
» State should try to minimise their traditional values, customs and beliefs.
displacement, and adhere to a rights When we plan for tribal development,
based approach to rehabilitate them. we have to regard these differences, take
Displacement should be democratic a special note of their situations and
and rights of tribal populations to refuse capabilities and provide them facilities to
the acquisition of their land should be develop on the line they want to take.

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