 The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry, under the leadership of Minister Jual

Oram, is set to review the forest clearance documentation for the ₹72,000-
crore infrastructure endeavor on Great Nicobar Island, proposed by the present
government.
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 The Great Nicobar Project entails the establishment of a trans-shipment port,
international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-
based power plant, covering an estimated 130 sq. km. of forest land.
 A requirement for environmental clearance has been fulfilled for the project, with
plans for compensatory afforestation in a distant location to mitigate the loss of
trees in the rainforest on Great Nicobar.
 However, concerns have been raised about the potential impact on a tribal reserve
forest area, home to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group known as
Shompen, for which the government has stated no relocation plans despite land
use for the project.

About PVTG:
 PVTG’s are the most vulnerable among tribal communities, necessitating a greater
allocation of development funds to address their specific needs, compared to more
developed and assertive tribal groups.
 In this context, in 1975, the Government of India declared 52 tribal groups as PVTGs
on the recommendation of the Dhebar Commission.
o Currently, there are 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes spread over 18 states
and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).
 The highest number of PVTGs are found in Odisha, followed by Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, while no PVTGs are found in the states
of Punjab and Haryana.
 Criteria to Identify Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups:
1. Preservation of pre-agricultural practices,
2. Economic Backwardness,
3. Decreasing or stagnant population growth, and
Relatively low levels of literacy in contrast to other tribal groups.

 Further, the allegations of Forest Rights Act (FRA) violations in the clearance
process are being investigated by the National Commission for Scheduled
Tribes (NCST), further questioning the consultation process mandated by the
Constitution.

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