Why is it in the News

The Rajya Sabha recently passed two Bills, which seek to modify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

News Summary:

• The Rajya Sabha recently approved the Constitution (STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024 and the Constitution (SCs and STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024, introduced by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• This development paves the path for the inclusion of numerous new communities in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list of Odisha, along with the incorporation of synonyms and phonetic variations of existing tribes in the ST lists of both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

About the Legislation:

• The recently passed bills introduced notable changes to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) lists of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, particularly focusing on the inclusion of seven Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), a subset of STs, with four additions in Odisha and three in Andhra Pradesh.
• In Odisha, the PVTGs added include:
  • Pauri Bhuyan and Paudi Bhuyan as synonyms of the Bhuyan tribe.
  • Chuktia Bhunjia as a synonym of the Bhunjia tribe.
  • Bondo as a sub-tribe of the Bondo Poraja tribe.
  • Mankidia as a synonym for the Mankirdia tribe.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, the PVTGs added are:
• Bondo Porja and Khond Porja as synonyms of the Porja tribe.
• Konda Savaras as a synonym for the Savaras tribe.
• These additions mark a significant step as these groups, belonging to PVTGs, have been included in the scheduled list after 75 years of independence.

Additional Changes:

• Apart from these additions, the bills also facilitated changes in Odisha's ST list, including the relocation of two entries, Tamadia and Tamudia, from the Scheduled Castes list to the Scheduled Tribes list.
• Furthermore, synonyms, phonetic variations, and sub-tribes of at least eight existing communities in Odisha's ST list were added through the bill.
• Expanding Odisha's ST list, the bills introduced two new entries:
  • The Muka Dora community (and synonyms) in undivided Koraput District, which comprises Koraput, Nowrangapur, Rayagada, and Malkangiri districts.
  • The Konda Reddy (and synonyms) community.

Who are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

• Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), as defined by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), comprise 75 distinct tribal communities in India.
• These groups are characterized by:
  • Pre-agriculture level of technology,
  • Stagnant or declining population trends,
  • Extremely low literacy rates, and
  • Subsistence level of economy.
• PVTGs were identified as a separate category based on the recommendations of the 1961 Dhebar Commission. Initially, there were 52 PVTGs, and over time, the list has expanded to include 75 groups across 18 states and Union Territories.
• According to data from the MoTA and the 2011 Census, Odisha has the largest population of PVTGs, with 8.66 lakh individuals, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 6.09 lakh and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) with 5.39 lakh.
• Overall, the total PVTG population exceeds 40 lakh, with Odisha's Saura community being the largest PVTG, numbering 5.35 lakh individuals.