UPSC Prelims 2021 Question:

With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to

Explanation:

• Halbi: Also known as Bastari, it  is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language and is spoken by tribes across the central part of India. It is written in Devanagari and Odia script. Language is spoken in many parts of Bastar region, including Gondi, Dorli and other dialects.
  
  
• Kui: It is a South-Eastern Dravidian language spoken by the Kandhas. It is mostly spoken in Odisha, and written in the Odia script. It was also referred to as the Kuinga language during the historical period. It is closely related to the Gondi and Kuvi languages.
  
  
• Ho: It is a Munda language spoken mainly in the States of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, West Bengal and Assam, and also in Bangladesh.
  
  

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.

Relevance: Padma award for tribal mystic from Odisha, Tadisaru Bai, sings in Sanskrit, Odia and Kui, tackling social issues and superstitions.

Subject: Polity | Languages