Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:
- 1.PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
- 2.A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
- 3.There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
- 4.Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. India has 75 PVTGs, not 95, spread over 18 States and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and a stagnant or declining population is one of the four criteria. Irular and Konda Reddi are both on the list.
- ✓ 1. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs states that 75 such groups in 18 States and one Union Territory (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) have been identified as PVTGs.
- ✓ 2. The Ministry's criteria are a pre-agriculture level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, low literacy and a subsistence level of economy.
- ✗ 3. The number notified is 75, not 95, so this statement fails.
- ✓ 4. The Ministry's state-wise list includes Konda Reddi (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and Irular (Tamil Nadu).
Remember · 75 PVTGs in 18 States and 1 UT; criteria: pre-agricultural technology, stagnant or declining population, low literacy, subsistence economy.
Sources
- Annual Report 2024-25, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Chapter 9 ↗ “75 such groups in 18 States and one UT have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). … There are certain groups among tribal populations which have declining or stagnant members, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.”
- State-wise list of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), Ministry of Tribal Affairs ↗ “59 Irular 23 Kathodi 60 Kattunayakan 24 Kotwalia … 6 Kolam 7 Konda Reddi 8 Kondasavara 46 Birhore”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·