From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Why in the News?
At the recent Indian Anthropology Congress officials from the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) called for a shift in defining tribes.
Instead of a rigid binary classification—tribe or not—they advocate for a “spectrum of tribalness”.
About Scheduled Tribes (STs)
- STs are defined under Article 366(25) of the Indian Constitution as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.“
- Under Article 342, the President notifies STs for each State/UT after consultation with the Governor, and modifications can only be made by Parliament through legislation.
- Currently, 705 STs are notified across 30 States/UTs, comprising 8.6% of India’s population (2011 Census).
- They are mainly concentrated in Central India (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, etc.) and the North-East.
Existing Criteria for ST Classification (Lokur Committee, 1965)
- The Lokur Committee (1965) laid down 5 key criteria for classifying STs:
- Primitive Traits
- Distinctive Culture
- Geographical Isolation
- Shyness of Contact with the Community at Large
- Backwardness
- Criticisms of Existing Criteria:
- Termed obsolete, condescending, and colonial by scholars.
- Many communities today do not fully meet all criteria.
- Fails to reflect regional diversity, historical coexistence, and social changes.
- Overly dependent on a binary view of ‘tribe’ vs. ‘non-tribe’, leading to inclusion-exclusion conflicts (e.g., Meitei ST demand in Manipur).
Proposal for a ‘Spectrum of Tribalness’
Recent academic and policy discussions (e.g., at the Indian Anthropology Congress) advocate for a paradigm shift:
- Replace binary classification with a “spectrum of tribalness” or matrix of indicators.
- Use a broader set of 100-150 indicators, including:
- Marriage, kinship systems, language, rituals, governance structures, cultural materiality (e.g., headgear, weaponry) etc.
- Assign weightage to each indicator to determine the degree of tribalness.
PYQ:[2024] Consider the following statements: 1. It is the Governor of the State who recognizes and declares any community of that State as a Scheduled Tribe. 2. A community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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