Tribes

FB

 California became the first state of USA to explicitly ban caste discrimination in May 2023

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022

 National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has stated that the rules are violative of the Forest Rights Act,
2006
 The rules proposes to do away with the clause to mandatorily seek consent of the gram sabhas before Stage 1
and even Stage 2 clearance for diversion of forest land for other purposes

Obsolete criteria to define STs

 The Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) is following the set of criteria set out by the Lokur Committee
(1965) nearly 60 years ago to define any new community as a Scheduled Tribe,
 Approval of the Office of the RGI is mandatory for the inclusion of any community on ST lists, as per the
procedure for scheduling tribes.
 There is a proposal to change the criteria for scheduling of new communities as STs based on the report of an
internal task force, which called these criteria “obsolete”, “dogmatic”, and “rigid” considering the process of
transition and acculturation
 The criteria set out by the Lokur Committee for defining a community as a tribe are:
o indications of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the
community at large, and backwardness.
 Terms like “primitive and the requirement of primitivity to be a characteristic of Scheduled Tribe indicates a
condescending attitude by outsiders”, adding, “What we consider primitive is not considered by the tribals
themselves.”
 Problems with the geographical isolation criterion, arguing that as infrastructure development continued across
the country
 Based on this, Tribal Affairs Ministry prepared a draft to overhaul the criteria and procedure for scheduling STs
 Proposed criteria - socioeconomic, including educational, backwardness, vis-a-vis, the rest of the population of
the State; historical geographical isolation which may or may not exist today; distinct language/dialect; presence
of a core culture relating to lifecycle, marriage, songs, dance, paintings, folklore.

Irulas

 Irula Snack Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society – one of the major anti snake venom producers in the country
 To provide income generating employment to Irulas by using their traditional skills without over exploiting any
taxa od wildlife
 They treat snake bites with pachai elai marundhu, a herbal medicine and avoid going to hospital in most cases

Minority schemes

 Merit cum means scholarship for professional and technical courses for students from minority communities
 PM Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) – develop socio economic infrastructure and basic amenities in identified
minority concentration areas for improving the quality of life of the people and reduce imbalances
 Strict implementation of provisions of Protection of Aborigine Tribe (PAT) Regulation

Schemes for Tribes

 MSP for minor forest produce – by TRIFED – recently there was a rise in the number of forest produce that the
government was purchasing
 Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students across country
o But they were running with fewer than half the number of teachers
 Aadi Mahotsav
o By TRIFED – Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India – will feature the exhibition
cum sale of tribal handicrafts, handloom, paintings, jewellery, cane and bamboo products and tribal
cuisine
  3000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras – tribal entrepreneurship for MFPs under Van Dhan Yojana
 New Education Policy has addressed the language barrier which had been a problem for tribal children allowing
them to learn in their mother tongues

PM PVTG

 PM PVTG Development mission – to improve socio economic conditions of 75 such groups across 18 states and
one UT
o 3 year implementation
o Ekalavya Model Residential Schools – to build 740 more schools in next 3 years
o Basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education,
health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, sustainable livelihoods
 Challenges
o Lack of data on PVTG populations in several states and UTs

SC/ST act

 Recommendation
 State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (SVMC) should be regularly held twice a year to review the
implementation of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989

Problems faced by SC ST students

 Discrimination in higher educational institutions. Recent suicides in IIT