Rajya Sabha passes Bills to add PVTGs of Odisha, A.P. in ST lists

  • February 7, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Rajya Sabha passes Bills to add PVTGs of Odisha, A.P. in ST lists

Subject: Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Context:

  • Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024 and the Constitution (SCs and STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024, presented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

About the Bills:

  • Among the additions were notably seven Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) (a subset of STs) – four in Odisha and three in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The independent names of these PVTGs had been specifically added as synonyms or sub-tribes of communities already on the ST lists of these States.
  • In Odisha, the PVTG communities added are –
    • Pauri Bhuyan and Paudi Bhuyan as synonyms of the Bhuyan tribe;
    • The ChuktiaBhunjia as a synonym of the Bhunjia tribe;
    • The Bondo as a sub-tribe of the Bondo Poraja tribe; and
    • The Mankidia as a synonym for the Mankirdia tribe.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, the PVTG communities included Bondo Porja and Khond Porja as synonyms of the Porja tribe and the Konda Savaras as a synonym for the Savaras tribe.

Other Additions and Changes:

  • In addition to this, the Bill to amend Odisha’s ST list also shifted two entries – Tamadia and Tamudia – from the Scheduled Castes list to the Scheduled Tribes list.
  • The Bill also added synonyms, phonetic variations and sub-tribes of at least eight existing communities in the State’s ST list.
  • Further, Odisha’s ST list was expanded by adding two communities to it as new entries. These are –
    • The Muka Dora community (and synonyms) in undivided Koraput District which includes Koraput, Nowrangapur, Rayagada and Malkangiri districts; and
    • The Konda Reddy (and synonyms) community.
About PVTGs

  • According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), India has 75 PVTGs, who are characterized by –
    • Pre-agriculture level of technology,
    • Stagnant or declining population,
    • Extremely low literacy, and
    • Subsistence level of economy.
  • PVTGs were recognised as a separate category based on the findings of the 1961 Dhebar Commission.
  • In 1975, there were 52 PVTGs and the list had been expanded to 75 across 18 states and Union Territories.
  • Data from the MoTA and the 2011 Census shows that Odisha has the largest population of PVTGs at 8.66 lakh, followed by MP at 6.09 lakh and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) at 5.39 lakh.
  • The total PVTG population is more than 40 lakh and the largest PVTG is Odisha’s Saura community, numbering 5.35 lakh.

Government Initiatives for the Welfare of the PVTGs:

  • The Union Budget 2023-24 announced the launch of the PM PVTG Development Mission.
    • This will saturate PVTG households and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, etc.
    • An amount of Rs.15,000 crore will be made available to implement the Mission in the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).
  • The PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) has been launched to enhance the socio-economic conditions of PVTGs.
    • The PM-JANMAN (comprising Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes) to focus on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries.
  • The government has been consistently following up with respective State governments over the declining populations of several PVTG communities across the country.
Polity Rajya Sabha passes Bills to add PVTGs of Odisha