Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

In
2006, during the United Progressive Alliance Regime under the leadership of
Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh, the Government of India initiated National Tribal
Policy. The primary aim of the policy was to correct several mishaps of the
earlier policies centering on the Tribal population of the country. It became
particularly intriguing because of the rising concern in areas like Red Corridor where Maoist
insurgency was on the rise that became a threat
to the integrity of the country. The overall goal of the National tribal Policy
was to bring tribes into the ‘mainstream’. This policy sees Neheruvian
Panchsheel as rather abstract ideas and puts thrust on the target orientation
and specifications in the ‘development’ of the Tribal population. The following
issues were prioritized in the National Tribal Policy:

·        
Formal
education

·        
Traditional
wisdom

·        
Health
infrastructure

·        
Displacement
and resettlement issues

·        
Forest
and villages

·        
Shifting
cultivation

·        
Land
alienation

·        
Intellectual
property rights

·        
Tribal
languages

This
policy focuses on Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) which is since then revised as
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).  

Definition:

PVTGs
constitute the most vulnerable section among tribals and inhabit isolated, remote
and difficult areas in small and scattered hamlets/ habitats. The scheme aims
at planning their socio-economic development in a comprehensive manner while
retaining the culture and heritage of the community by adopting habitat
development approach and intervening in all spheres of their social and
economic life, so that a visible impact is made in improvement of the quality
of life of PVTGs. During the Fourth Five Year Plan, a sub-category was created
within Scheduled Tribes to identify the most vulnerable groups which were
considered to be at the lowest levels of development. Consequently, on the
basis of the Dhebar
Commission report, a criterion for identifying Particularly Vulnerable
Tribal Groups was established as:

·        
Pre-agricultural
level of technology,

·        
Low
level of literacy,

·        
Economic
backwardness,

·        
A
declining or stagnant population.

Policy Thrust for PVTGs

Activities
which are prioritized under the PVTGs include:

a)     
Livelihood,

b)     
Employment
opportunities and economic development of PVTGs through Agriculture,
Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Skilling/ Vocational Training

c)     
Education,
(Literacy, Drop-out, Residential schools in addition to SSA/RMSA).

d)     
Health,
(Gap filling for effective health service delivery beyond NHM etc).

e)     
Provision
of safe drinking water (gap filling where line Ministries do not provide complete/universal
coverage),

f)      
Land
distribution, land development,

g)     
Social
security,

h)     
Housing
and Habitat,

i)       
Connectivity
(Road and Telecommunication),

j)       
Supply
of Electricity (gap filling where line Ministries do not provide complete/universal
coverage), Solar power, with provision of maintenance,

k)     
Irrigation
(gap filling where line Ministries do not provide complete/universal coverage),

l)       
Urban
Development,

m)   
Culture,

n)     
Sports
including traditional and tribal games and sports,

o)     
Any
other innovative activity for the comprehensive socio-economic development of
PVTGs

For
detailed description of the Policy prescription follow this link: https://tribal.nic.in/downloads/NGO/Latter-Notice/14.pdf

List of the PVTGs