Anthropologists call for overhaul of criteria used for identifying STs
- March 16, 2025
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Anthropologists call for overhaul of criteria used for identifying STs
Sub: Geo
Sec: Human Geo
Context:
- Anthropologists and experts are calling for a paradigm shift in defining “tribes” in India.
- Instead of a binary classification, a “spectrum of tribalness” is being proposed.
- The demand comes amid rising claims for ST status, including by the Meitei community in Manipur.
Current Criteria for ST Classification
- The Union government follows the criteria set by the Lokur Committee (1965), which include:
- Primitive traits
- Distinctive culture
- Geographical isolation
- Shyness of contact with the larger community
- Backwardness
- These criteria are now criticized as obsolete, condescending, and meaningless by experts.
Need for a New Approach
- No community fully meets the existing criteria.
- Instead of rigid criteria, scholars propose a matrix or spectrum with weighted indicators to assess a community’s degree of tribalness.
- The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) are deliberating on a systematic tool for classification.
Proposed Indicators for Defining ‘Tribalness’
- Experts suggest considering both tangible and intangible indicators, including:
- Social institutions – Marriage, kinship, classification of relatives
- Rituals and practices
- Language and dialect
- Material culture – Headgear, weaponry
- Self-identification of communities
- A possible tool may include up to 150 indicators, rather than just five.
Concept Note & Policymaking
- A concept note highlights the “persistent difficulty” in defining tribes.
- A systematic classification tool will help Tribal Research Institutions (TRIs) in preparing ethnographic reports for policymaking.
Growing Demands for ST Status
- India currently has 756 ST entries (including sub-entries).
- Since the 2011 Census, 27 communities have been added.
- Hundreds of communities seek inclusion, sometimes leading to inter-community conflicts (e.g., Meitei vs. Kuki-Zo & Naga tribes in Manipur).
Civilisational Approach vs. Evolutionary Approach
- Scholars advocate moving from an evolutionary approach (used in Australia, China) to a historical or civilisational approach.
- This ensures that communities are seen as they perceive themselves, rather than as the “other” studied by outsiders.
Conclusion
- A revised classification system will help in better governance, equitable distribution of benefits, and conflict resolution.
- The focus should shift to cultural, historical, and self-identification aspects, rather than outdated criteria.