Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups on Andaman Islands

Great Andamanese Tribe

• These are a part of the Negrito tribes that inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands.
• The tribe speaks Jeru dialect among themselves.

Jarwas

• Jarawa tribe is native to the South Andaman Nicobar Island.
• They are the tribes of African origin living in Andaman who settled 50 years back.

Shompens

• They are the only tribe in the region with Mongoloid features.
• The other PVTGs have Negroid features.

Onges

• The Little Andaman Island is home to Onges tribes, who are fewer than 100.

North Sentinelese

• North Sentinel Island is part of North Andaman region home to the Sentinelese tribe.

Explanation :

• The Gujarat government has decided to form a five-member commission to identify members of Rabari, Bharvad and Charan communities, who are eligible for benefits of Schedule Tribe (ST) status.
• In October 1956, the central government conferred ST status on people of Rabari, Bharvad and Charan communities, living in nesses (tiny, oval-shaped hutments made of mud) of Gir, Barda and Alech areas of Gujarat.

Rabari

• They migrated from Rajasthan via Kutch and now most of them live in the Okhamandal region of Jamnagar district.
• They speak ‘Bhopa’ which is a mixture of Gujarati, Kachchi, Marwari words and Pharasi (Persian) and use Gujarati script.
• Their folk songs are called ‘Siya’.

Bharvad

• The Bharwads are pastorals who are permitted to graze their sheep and cattle in certain demarcated areas of the reserved forest.
• They communicate in Gujarati and use Gujarati script.

Charan

• The Charan, also called Gadhvi, is a small tribe in Gujarat and the name Charan is derived from the word ‘Char’ which means grazing.
• They speak Gujarati and use Gujarati script.
• These are traditionally cattle breeders. They have also adopted agriculture as their secondary occupation.

Explanation :

• The Katkari is a Scheduled Tribe mostly belonging to the state of Maharashtra, located primarily in Raigad and in parts of Palghar, Ratnagiri and Thane districts as well and in some places of Gujarat.
• They are bilingual, speaking the Katkari language, a dialect of the Marathi-Konkani language.
• The name Katkari is derived from a forest-based activity – the making and barter or sale of Katechu (kath) from the khair tree (Acacia Katechu).
• In Maharashtra, the Katkari has been designated a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), along with two other groups included in this sub-category: the Madia Gond and the Kolam.
• The British administration had classified them under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.

Explanation :

• Toda people are a Dravidian ethnic group who live in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
• The Toda are most closely related to the Kota both ethnically and linguistically.
• The Toda language is a member of the Dravidian family. Linguists have classified Toda (along with its neighbour Kota) as a member of the southern subgroup of the historical family proto-South-Dravidian.
• Their sole occupation is cattle-herding and dairy-work. Holy dairies are built to store the buffalo milk.
• They live in small hamlets called munds. The Toda huts, called dogles, are of an oval, pent-shaped construction.
• Toda Embroidery: In the Toda language it is called pohor. Registrar of Geographical Indication gave GI status for this unique embroidery, a practice which has been passed on to generations.

Explanation :

• Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam.
• In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• They are the second most populous tribe among the indigenous Tripuris after Tripuri (Debbarma).
• They speak the Reang dialect of Kokborok language which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin and is locally referred to as Kau Bru.
• These are primarily an agrarian tribe. In the past, they mostly practised the Huk or Jhum cultivation like most other Tripuri tribes.
• Dance is an integral part of Reang life. The Hojagiri folk dance of Reang sub tribe is rather well known all over the world. 'Buisu', not 'bihu' is the most popular festival of reang tribes.

Explanation :

• Asur people are a very small Austroasiatic ethnic group (PVTG) living primarily in the Indian state of Jharkhand, mostly in the Gumla, Lohardaga, Palamu and Latehar districts.
• They are traditionally iron-smelters. They were once hunter gatherers, having also involved in shifting agriculture.
• The Asur society is divided into 12 clans. These Asur clans are named after different animals, birds and food grains. Family is second prominent institution after the clan.
• The Asurs speak a distinct language called Asuri but no portion of the Scripture is available.

Explanation :

• The Korku are an Adivasi ethnic group predominantly found in the Khandwa, Burhanpur, Betul and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas near the Melghat Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra.
• Korku people are initially believed to be a hunter-gatherer community who dwelt in the forests of the Satpura Range on both sides of the Tapti River.
• The Korku language, which is often called the Kolarian language, belongs to the Munda Family of languages.

Explanation :

• Bru also known as Reang is a tribal group living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• They are the second most populous tribe in Tripura after the Tripuris. They are ethnically different from the Mizos, with their own distinct language and dialect and form one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura.
• They speak the Reang dialect of Bru language which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin and is locally referred to as Kau Bru.

Explanation :

• Konda Reddis are found on both the banks of the Godavari River (East and West Godavari districts), in the hilly-forest region of Khammam (Telangana) and Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh).
• This tribe has been recognized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Living in their natural habitat, the Konda Reddis have been eking out a livelihood by collecting minor forest products like honey, making a wide array of bamboo products such as baskets and cots besides cultivating jowar, bottle gourd and a few other traditional crops.
• The tribe is known for their eco-friendly practices such as use of household articles made of bamboo, bottle gourd, and seeds.
• They cultivate the crops in a distinct way called ‘Podu’. It is an ancient practice in hilly regions.

Criteria for identifying Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs):

• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population

Explanation :

• The Galos belong to the Tani group inhabiting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, besides Tibet.They trace their common origin to a primeval ancestor, Abotani.
• They have a big population in East Siang, Upper Subansiri and Namsai districts
• They are one of the 26 major communities of Arunachal Pradesh.They are listed as Scheduled tribe since 1950.
• Mopin is the main festival in Galos which is celebrated in the month of April for the prosperity and wealth of the villages. Popir is a folk dance performed by this tribe.
• The Galos maintain genealogy through given names.They have a system of prefixing the second syllable of a father’s name to that of a son who passes on the suffix in his name to his son.
• Hence, they can trace the names of ancestors from the first syllable or prefix of our names.