Separate cell to be formed by Jharkhand government for Primitive Tribes Group
Miscellaneous
India
Jharkhand government in July 2016 decided to form a separate cell for the Primitive Tribes Group (PTG) in the Welfare Department. The purpose of the cell is to monitor the benefits to the group under various schemes.
A Consultant and an Assistant would be placed in the cell.
The Union Government provides fund for the welfare of the PTG in addition to the state's own schemes.
There are nearly three lakh people belonging to PTGs in the state.
Primitive Tribes Group (PTG)
Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) (earlier known as Primitive tribal group) is a government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with particularly low development indices.
In 2006 the government of India proposed to rename "Primitive tribal group" as particularly vulnerable tribal group". PTG has since been renamed particularly vulnerable tribal group by the government of India.
How it was identified and when happened?
The Dhebar Commission (1960-1961) stated that within Scheduled Tribes there existed an inequality in the rate of development. During the fourth Five Year Plan a sub-category was created within Scheduled Tribes to identify groups that considered being at a lower level of development.
This was created based on the Dhebar Commission report and other studies. This sub-category was named "Primitive tribal group".
The features of such a group include a pre-agricultural system of existence that is practice of hunting and gathering, zero or negative population growth, extremely low level of literacy in comparison with other tribal groups.
At present, India houses 75 communities of Primitive Tribal Group. PTGs in Jharkhand (including Bihar) are Asurs, Birhor, Birjia, Hill Kharia, Korwas, Mal Paharia, Parhaiyas, Sauria Paharia, and Savar.
Earlier in June 2016, the state government decided to give two percent reservation to primitive tribal groups (PTGs) in education and government jobs. The move was aimed at institutionalising affirmative action required for these groups, which was not available to them.
