Understanding PVTGs in India: Census Significance, Population, and Challenges

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Latest News

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has urged the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) to enumerate particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) separately in the upcoming Census.
• The ministry requested that data on households, individuals, and unique demographic, cultural, and socio-economic traits of PVTGs be collected. 
• This would enable more accurate planning and effective execution of targeted welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN).

Understanding Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• PVTGs are a sub-category of Scheduled Tribes (STs) characterised by declining or stagnant populations, geographical isolation, pre-agrarian practices, economic backwardness, and low literacy levels.
• The category was created following the Dhebar Commission (1960–61), which highlighted disparities among tribal groups and noted that some were far more vulnerable than others. 
• Initially, 52 groups were identified as PVTGs (then called Primitive Tribal Groups) during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79). 
• Later, in 2006, 23 more groups were added, bringing the total to 75 PVTGs across 18 states and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Experts have raised concerns about the criteria used, particularly the emphasis on geographical isolation.
• They suggested that the government should revisit and update inclusion parameters before conducting a fresh enumeration to reflect improvements or worsening conditions among different groups.

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Separate Enumeration of PVTGs

• So far, no separate enumeration of PVTGs has taken place in any Census. Since PVTGs are a sub-category of Scheduled Tribes (STs), they are generally counted within the broader ST category. 
• Many PVTGs are not listed individually but grouped under a common nomenclature, leading to limited visibility in Census data.
• According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), 40 out of 75 PVTGs are listed as ‘single entry’ in the notified ST list under Article 342 of the Constitution. 
• For example, in the 2011 Census, Baigas of Madhya Pradesh were counted separately, but groups like Abujh Marias, Bharias, Hill Korbas, and Kamars were not. 
• Later, in 2013, Abujh Maria and Hill Korba were formally added to Chhattisgarh’s ST list through legislation.
• By convention, the Registrar General of India (RGI) only publishes data for the main STs, with sub-groups and synonyms automatically included, which has prevented focused data collection on PVTGs until now.

Estimates of PVTG Population

• In November 2023, the government launched the ₹24,104 crore PM JANMAN scheme to uplift PVTGs through improved health, education, livelihoods, and infrastructure in over 200 districts. 
• To support its rollout, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and state governments conducted a habitation-level survey, estimating the total PVTG population at 47.5 lakh.
• Among states, Madhya Pradesh had the largest estimated PVTG population at 13.22 lakh, followed by Maharashtra (6.7 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh (5.18 lakh).
• The 2011 Census data showed that some PVTG groups had populations of fewer than 1,000 people, including: 
  • the Jarawas, Onges, Sentinelese, and Shompens (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), 
  • Raji (Uttarakhand), 
  • Kota (Tamil Nadu), 
  • Birhor (Odisha), 
  • Kamar (Madhya Pradesh), and 
  • small tribal groups in Bihar. 
• The Sentinelese were the smallest community with just 15 individuals, while the Baiga of Madhya Pradesh were the largest, numbering 4,14,526.
• Officials emphasise that accurate enumeration will plug gaps in welfare implementation, particularly in health and education, and help reassess whether current PVTG classification criteria remain relevant.

Source: IE | VP | PIB