The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has requested the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to consider separate enumeration of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the upcoming Census.The move is significant because PVTGs are among the most marginalised sections within Scheduled Tribes and separate data can help in better implementation of targeted schemes such as PM JANMAN.
The Ministry has asked that the Census should capture:
This is important because separate enumeration of PVTGs has never been done in any Census so far.In the 2011 Census, data was collected for Scheduled Tribes, but separate data for PVTGs was not collected. This creates difficulties in planning targeted interventions for the most vulnerable tribal groups.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are a sub-category within Scheduled Tribes that are considered more vulnerable than other tribal communities.They are identified based on features such as:
The category was created on the basis of recommendations of the Dhebar Commission (1960–61), which found major disparities among tribal communities.Initially, these groups were called Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). Later, the nomenclature was changed to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
During the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79), initially 52 groups were identified as Primitive Tribal Groups.In 2006, the Centre added 23 more groups, taking the total number of PVTGs to:
They are spread across:
PVTGs have not been separately enumerated in any Census because many of them are counted under the broader Scheduled Tribe category.Some PVTGs are not listed separately and are clubbed under larger ST nomenclature. According to government information, out of 75 PVTGs, only 40 are scheduled as “single entry” under Article 342.For example, in Census 2011, some groups such as Baiga in Madhya Pradesh were enumerated separately, but others such as Abujh Maria, Bharia, Hill Korba and Kamar were not separately captured.
For implementing PM JANMAN, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs collected habitation-level data with State governments.As per this survey, India has an estimated:
Major States with high estimated PVTG population:
| State | Estimated PVTG Population |
|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | 13.22 lakh |
| Maharashtra | 6.7 lakh |
| Andhra Pradesh | 5.18 lakh |
The exact Census enumeration will help verify these estimates and improve welfare targeting.
The issue is directly connected with:
PM JANMAN was launched in November 2023 with an outlay of:
It aims to improve the socio-economic condition of PVTGs in more than 200 districts.The scheme focuses on:
Accurate Census data can help plug gaps in implementation and ensure saturation of welfare schemes.
Separate enumeration of PVTGs can help in:
It will also strengthen evidence-based policymaking for tribal welfare.
Updated - 05 September 2025 | News Source – The Indian Express