Scheduled Tribe Population Research Articles

Socio-monetary and Demographic Profile of Gujjar and Bakkarwals of Poonch District

The present study is an attempt to understand the educational backwardness of scheduled tribes of district Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir. The Scheduled Tribes (ST’s) are the socially and educationally deprived people in India. Scheduled Tribes have specific histories of social and monetary deprivation and the underlying reasons in their educational marginalization are also strikingly awesome. Schooling forms a crucial factor inside the average improvement of people, enabling them to get extra awareness, higher comprehension in their social, political and cultural surroundings and additionally facilitating inside the development of their socio-monetary conditions. The time period “tribe” was earlier used for a network which constituted a homogenous institution that lived in overall isolation having a particularly self-sustaining economic system independent political setup and which maintained wonderful customs, religions practices inherited from one common place ancestor. The scheduled tribes are the oldest settlers, if no longer the primary in India and India has the second one biggest concentration of the tribes inside internationally. Scheduled tribe population constitutes 8.6% of the entire population in India. Jammu and Kashmir has many tribal communities having their own traditions, cultures and customs. Scheduled Tribe groups have traditionally lived in remote and some difficult terrains in the direction of forests and natural assets. Most of the tribes live in inaccessible areas.

Spatiotemporal Epidemiology of Malaria in India from 2007 to 2022.

India is a major contributor to the global burden of malaria, especially Plasmodium vivax infection. Understanding the spatiotemporal trends of malaria across India over the last two decades may assist in targeted intervention. The population-normalized spatiotemporal trends of malaria epidemiology in India from 2007 to 2022 were analyzed using a geographic information system with the publicly available "malaria situation" report of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP). The NVBDCP data showed malaria cases to have steeply declined from 1.17 million in 2015 to 0.18 million cases in 2022; this is 10.1 and 18.7 fold lower than the WHO's estimate of 11.93 million and 3.38 million cases in 2015 and 2022, respectively. From 2007 to 2022, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand consistently reported high caseloads of Plasmodium falciparum. In the same period, the P. vivax caseload was high in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The distribution of forest cover, annual rainfall, and proportion of the Scheduled Tribe population (the most underprivileged in Indian society) spatially correlated with malaria cases and deaths. Mizoram is the only state where cases were higher in 2022 than in 2007. Overall, India has made tremendous progress in controlling malaria and malaria-related deaths in the last decade. The decline could be attributed to the effective vector and parasite control strategies implemented across the country.

A district-level geospatial analysis of the availability of improved water and sanitation among tribal households in India

ABSTRACT Despite progress in Sustainable Development Goal 6, which envisages clean water and sanitation for all, enormous disparities in access to water and sanitation services between and within countries continue to be a significant challenge. Evidence on the spatial heterogeneity of water, sanitation, and hygiene practices among the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population is limited in India. This study estimates the spatial heterogeneity in ST people's access to improved water and sanitation facilities and its correlates at the district level. Geospatial techniques like Moran's I, univariate and bivariate local indicator of spatial association, and spatial regression models were carried out for 707 districts covered in the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey, 2019–21. Stata was used for descriptive analysis, and ArcMap and GeoDA were used for spatial analysis. Only about half of ST households had access to improved water and sanitation facilities in India. Spatial heterogeneity across districts was evident, with 130 districts from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and some portion of Karnataka forming the hot spots. Gender and age of the household head, family type, and region were significantly associated with improved water and sanitation facilities among ST households.

Determinants of depression in Indian tribal adults: Evidence from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India Wave-I survey.

The tribal populations are vulnerable to mental health issues owing to various reasons. However, limited research has been conducted to assess depression and related determinants among tribal adults aged ≥45 yr (45 years and older). The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic and health determinants of depressive symptoms among the scheduled tribe (ST) population aged ≥45 yr in India. The present study analyzed the Wave I data of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted between April 2017 to December 2018. The outcome variables in the present study were self-reported depressive symptoms. Two internationally recognised tools, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF), were used to obtain the data, however, only the CES-D data are utilized in this study. The present study focused on 12,215 ST individuals aged ≥45 yr from whom information about depressive symptoms was collected and analyzed. Nearly 25 per cent ST population aged 45 yr or older experienced depressive symptoms. The likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms among the ST population aged ≥45 yr was negatively associated with 10 or more years of education and living with children and others and positively associated with experiencing multiple morbidity conditions. Given the substantial burden of depression among the adult ST population, the present study lays emphasis on raising the awareness about depressive symptoms and strengthen the availability of mental health services among the ST community through intensive campaigns and engagement of ST individuals along with other key stakeholders. Higher education, living with spouse and children and a physically active lifestyle can play a crucial role in limiting depressive symptoms among the tribal adults (≥45 yr). It is paramount to regularly screen depressive symptoms and conduct more microlevel studies to evaluate socioeconomic and health determinants of depressive symptoms among ST communities living in different geographic regions.

A STUDY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF TRIBES IN THE NILGIRI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

Tamil Nadu, one of the major states of southern zone in India, consist of 36 important groups live in different district. According to the census of 2011, the scheduled Tribe population in Tamil Nadu constitute 1.10%of the total population. The Tribal Topography in Tamil Nadu broadly divided into three categories viz., 1) Tribal concentration areas 2) Dispersed tribal area and 3) Primitive tribal areas. According to the Ministry of tribal Affairs, Nigiri district had the highest percentage of tribal population area in Tamil Nadu came under the primitive tribal areas because of the presence of six primitive tribal groups (PTGs) viz., Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Paniyas, Irulas and Kattunayakans. Each of these tribes maintain unique cultural traits. All these tribes coexisted locally in a loose caste like community organisation. In our study facilitates to understand the social development of the six primitive tribal groups in Nilgiri district and provide an overall pictures of development initiatives by the government of India and Tamil Nadu Government for the upliftment of these tribal people and also focus on the status of theses tribal how they empowered themselves through self-help groups and other organisations. The study reveals that a number development programme, schemes, policies have been introducing to improve the well-being of tribal people.

Experiences of Scheduled Caste Community on Welfare Schemes: A Study of Ramai Aawas Yojana in Maharashtra

The government has created numerous schemes for the benefit of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe populations, yet their lifestyles have not seen significant improvement. Policymakers frequently do not consider the opinions of the target audience when drafting schemes, which causes target audiences to suffer as a result of accessing such schemes. When any plans or policies are created, the opinions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Communities must be taken into consideration. The major goals of this paper are to have a theoretical discussion on this, as well as to look at the rights-based approach in social work and properly comprehend its difficulty in practice. Housing schemes have been given considerable precedence in welfare programmes for disadvantaged people like Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. This research report is based on investigations made to learn about the experiences of the Scheduled Caste Community with Maharashtrian welfare schemes like the Ramai Aawas Yojana. The study’s primary goals are to investigate the difficulties beneficiaries encounter when claiming benefits from the scheme and the changes they notice in their lives as a result. It will also look at the administrative framework for scheme implementation, such as municipalities. The article aims to examine the difficulties faced by the Scheduled Caste group and their perspectives on (a) the Ramai Aawas Yojana Welfare Scheme and (b) the difficulties they encountered in receiving the Scheme’s benefits. (c) How their lives have altered as a result of using the housing program’s advantages. It is founded on an exploratory research design and qualitative approach.

Status of Scheduled Tribes in Higher Education of Andhra Pradesh: A Case Study on Government Degree College in Arakuvally, Visakhapatnam District

Abstract: Andhra Pradesh is one of the homes to a large variety of indigenous people. The Scheduled Tribe population represents one of the most economically impoverished and marginalized groups in Andhra Pradesh. Education is crucial to development as it provides the individual with adequate skill for participating in various economic activities. Education brings out improvement in health, hygiene, demographic profile, productivity and is practically connected with the quality of life. Literacy level is a basic component of educational development in any society. However, Andhra Pradesh in general is lagging behind many other Indian states in this respect. There has been a progress in the literacy rate of Andhra Pradesh wherein it increased from 21.2% in 1961 to 66.67% in 2011. The remarkable progress literacy observed in the state during 1990s was the second highest among Indian states. But such a remarkable progress has not recurred in the recent decade. Hence, with respect to literacy rate Andhra Pradesh still stands with the league of economically backward states in India. There was a similar progress in literacy rate especially ST community in the state. The literacy rate was merely 8.53% in 1961 and it increased to 50% in 2011. In this paper discuss on “Status of scheduled tribes in higher education of andhra pradesh: a case study on government degree college in arakuvally, visakhapatnam district”.

Growth and spatio-temporal variation of various demographic characteristics of the Scheduled Tribe population in Koch Bihar district, West Bengal, India

Growth and spatio-temporal variation of various demographic characteristics of the Scheduled Tribe population in Koch Bihar district, West Bengal, India

URBANIZATION AND THE ROLE OF SC, ST URBAN SLUM DWELLERS IN INDIA

Stratication on the basis of caste is found all over India. Caste system as a form of stratication has a stronghold in urban slum areas also. City-ward migration for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe populations is synonymous with social development, as the city life offers socio-economic opportunities, better standards of living, educational and health facilities as compared to rural areas. The proportion of Scheduled Castes was higher in the slum areas (28.10%) compared to the population of Scheduled tribe in the country (21.19%). The state of Maharashtra has the largest number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes living in urban slums. Andhra Pradesh had highest share of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe slum population in urban SC/ST population compared with other states.

Why Some Patients Died at Home Due to COVID-19 in a Rural, Tribal Area of India?

Abstract Introduction: We conducted this study to understand the proportion of deaths that occurred at home and the factors associated with home deaths in a tribal rural area of Gujarat, India. Materials and Methods: We collected a list of all deaths that occurred during the study period from local authorities and triangulated the data. Data collectors (DCs) visited the houses of the deceased person and interviewed the relatives as well as local health-care providers. The DCs categorized each death as COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 death based on the World Health Organization standard definition. For each COVID-19 death, we filled pretested questionnaire (local language) to know the care-seeking behavior of deceased persons. Subsequently, we conducted in-depth interviews of relatives whose family members died of COVID-19 at home (or within 48 hr of admission to a health-care facility) to find reasons for not seeking care at a health-care facility. Results: The risk of home deaths was high among the scheduled tribe population, laborers, below poverty line cardholders, those who did not seek care from private practitioners, those who did not test for COVID-19, those who did not seek care from qualified care providers, and those seeking care to nonqualified care providers. Shortage of health-care facilities, cost of care, and stigma/fear of hospitals were the major factors associated with the care-seeking behavior of patients. Conclusion: The unavailability of critical care, testing facilities, lack of knowledge, high cost of care, and lack of trust in hospitals were the major causes of home deaths among COVID-19 patients.

Study on socio-economic condition of Tribal farmers in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh

The economy of Sonbhadra district is mainly dependent on agriculture. The district has the highest percentage of forest area among all districts of Uttar Pradesh and the district is also called as Energy Capital of India. Sonbhadra district has highest Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in Uttar Pradesh and constituting 20.67 per cent in total district population. The present study was based on primary and secondary data collected to study the socio-economic condition of tribal farmers and status of agriculture in Sonbhadra district. The analysis of secondary information and data shows that net area sown and forest cover was 28.26 per cent and 50.36 per cent of total area respectively in the district. The cropping intensity and irrigation intensity of the district was 151.34 and 172.96 respectively. Wheat crop has the highest share in area (22.93 per cent) followed by paddy (15.77 per cent), maize (4.98 per cent), arhar (3.54 per cent) and gram (3.36 per cent) in the district. Total number of land holdings in the district was around 2.03 lakhs and 84.14 per cent land holdings in the district belongs to marginal and small category of land holding. Classification of population shows that district has highest share of marginal workers followed by agricultural labour, other workers, farmers and family labour. Around 61 per cent population in the district were illiterate. The analysis of primary information and data shows that average age of surveyed farmers was 40.1 years with majority of farmers (68.4 per cent) belongs to age group 35-50 years. Majority of farmers getting agriculture related information from neighborfriends and relative followed by radio, progressive farmers, officials of SHGs and NGOs and newspaper. The productivity of almost all the crops at farmers level was less than the district average. There is a high potential to increase the farm productivity. Share of marketed surplus in total production (Roy et al. 2019) was very less at farmers’ level showing major portion of the farm production was consumed as family need. Around 67 per cent farmers are taking credit from bank followed by money lender and Self Help Groups. Consumption expenditure details of farmers shows that around 36 per cent of their expenditure on food items which consists of 22.63 per cent on foodgrains, 4.18 per cent on pulses, 5.20 per cent on vegetables and 3.53 per cent on other food items (Roy et al. 2020). The findings of the present study are crucial for future planning towards upliftment of socio-economic condition of the tribal farmers and improvement in status of agriculture in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

Assessment of Socioeconomic Development of the Aspirational District in Central India: A Methodological Comparison

This study examines the Washim district’s socioeconomic growth to determine the criteria for district development. This study found that the Washim district comes under the rural area, where the child sex ratio is inferior. Even in some villages, it has zero value. In some regions where the Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) population is more, the child sex ratio is less. Out of six sub-districts, four sub-districts have a low literacy rate (less than 75%). The mean literacy rate is found as 81.7%, and its standard deviation is evaluated as 7.0. In the region where the literacy rate is higher, people are less busy with farming, and hence the percentage of the cultivator is less and vice versa. In the region where SC and ST population is more, the percentage of Household Industry (HHI) worker is higher and vice versa. Out of 698 inhabited villages, 692 villages are electrified in the district, with 99.1% of towns having installed power supply. The use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/piped natural gas (PNG) is minimal in the Washim district. In the region where firewood availability is accessible and adequate, the use of LPG/PNG is found to be less than its average value.

Pattern of Regional Disparities in the Level of Household Deprivation among the Scheduled Tribes of Eastern India: A District-level Analysis

This study attempted to show regional disparities in the level of deprivation among the Scheduled Tribe population in eastern Indian states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal). This work is based on house listing and housing table of Census of India, 2011 and Socio-Economic Cast Census data. The Wroclaw Taxonomic method was employed for measuring the deprivation index. The results show that, out of 110 districts, 55 districts are in a middle-deprived stage and 13 districts are in a highly deprived stage. Among the states, the level of deprivation is very high in Odisha, followed by West Bengal. The situation is quite better in Jharkhand. The study also shows that the districts with little better condition are either situated in agricultural plain, mining centres, power plants or tourism centres. The study also reveals that the areas with the better conditions are either in agricultural plains, mining centres, power plants or tourism centres. As a result, the research recommends enhancing previously existing tribal development programmes as well as regional general development programmes in order to reduce concerns such as tribal, rural and regional deprivation.

FACTORS GOVERNING FOOD SECURITY AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN TRIBAL DISTRICT OF SOUTH GUJARAT

Availability of food is associated with purchasing power and food insecurity is caused by poverty. The needs of the poor should be protected by improving their purchasing power, through proper planning of agricultural activities for future that can produce more employment and income generation programmes. Around 20.4 per cent of Gujarat's current population does not get enough calories from food as compared to the all-India figure of 13.4 per cent. The problem of food insecurity is basically not found in all sections of the people, rather it is mostly confined to certain marginalized sections. It includes scheduled tribes (STs) as they are socially and economically disadvantaged due to their isolation both geographically as well as culturally from the mainstream population. The attempt has been made to study the major factors governing food security in the Dangs - a tribal district of south Gujarat having 95 per cent scheduled tribe population. Results showed that household size, dependency ratio and age of the household head has significant negative association with food security whereas animal herd size and above poverty level status of household have positive influence on food security. The government should focus on awareness creation on effective family planning and the impact of large family size on ensuring food security, Government can initiate or strengthen old programmes for alternative income generation through facilitation of labour-intensive schemes.

The Status of Women Among the Tribal Communities of West Bengal, India

The tribal population has been enumerated as scheduled tribe population since 1951 in accordance to the constitution (Scheduled tribe) order, 1950. They are the aboriginal or Adivasi or early settler of India and they are the most backward groups in India. This paper focuses on the status of tribal women in their community with respect to their male counterparts both in general and tribal populations. Four indicators such as sex ratio, literacy rate, the general fertility rate of women and women's work participation rate are taken to assess the status and the gender discrimination among the tribal communities. The modified Sopher’s Disparity Index (1974) of Kundu and Rao (1986) has been used to identify the gender disparity and Pearson’s correlation co-efficient techniques have been used to analyze the correlation among the indicators. It has been found that like any other community in India, tribal women face gender discrimination. They are engaged in different economic sectors as economic assets of tribal households but they are often deprived to get their social rights. This paper also finds out the causes of gender disparity and suggests some measures to mitigate the gender discrimination.

Virtual Regions Strategy for Development of Tribal Communities

The Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in India is one of the most marginalised and deprived one in the country. The Constitution of India itself mandates exclusive approach, strategies and measures for their development. The Government of India and the state governments, along with other key stakeholders, have been taking very specific policy and programmatic interventions for reducing the disparities between the ST and other social groups for the past 74 years. The impact of these measures is clearly reflected through the improvement in vital development indicators. However, several gaps and challenges continue to persist, implying revisiting the fundamental approaches and planning processes which direct the interventions at policy and implementation level. In this article, an alternative, more focussed approach of ‘virtual region as planning unit’ takes the aspects related to geographical, cultural and developmental heterogeneity into consideration. Concrete strategies for implementation of various policies and programmes adopting the approach of virtual region planning in light of challenges have been presented. JEL Classification: D63, H11, H53, H61, H72, H75, H83, I14, I25, I38, J15, O21, O43, Y10, Z18

Health and Family Welfare Status of Mundari Sub-caste of Bagdah Block under the District of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Over 84 million of India’s people belong to Scheduled Tribes. While tribal populations make up only 8% of India’s population, they account for over a quarter of the country’s poorest people. The paper represents, considerable progress over the years - poverty among tribal groups declined by more than a third between 2011 and 2022 - nearly half the country’s Scheduled Tribe population remains in poverty, due to their low starting point. The Bagdah block of North 24 Parganas, has the largest population of Scheduled Tribes like Mundari sub-caste in the district, constituting over 6.39% of the block population. The paper also represents the family system and Mundari caste solidarity the need for seeking guidance in intimate family matter from people outside the family or caste group did not often arise. Even if such necessity arose, the people sought the advice of friends, priests or senior members of their community. The disintegration of the families was also not to the extent as it is today, particularly in the Bagdah block as a study area. The paper has also clear presentation of In recent years, there have been a number of additional statewide initiatives to enhance the reach and quality of healthcare to improve the health of people. These include the multi-disease surveillance system, several measures towards streamlining drug procurement, distribution and rational use of drugs; total risk coverage for five major communicable diseases through the Panchabyadhi Chikitsa Scheme, the Infant Mortality Rate Reduction Mission, mandatory pre-/post-graduate placement of doctors to serve in difficult areas establishment of district cadres for paramedical staff, among others for family well fare development in Bagdah block.

Implementation of (STSDF) scheduled tribes special development fund act 2017 of Telangana: A case study of Telangana

After the formation of the new State of Telangana, on the 2nd June, 2014, the State Government has attached the top-most priority for the development of Scheduled Tribes population in the State, which accounts for 9.08% of the total population as per the 2011 Census. The Tribal Welfare Department was nominated as nodal department to co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of various schemes reflect the importance given by the Government to ensure all-round development of the Scheduled Tribes. The Act is aimed to ensure accelerated development of SCs and STs with emphasis on achieving equality, focusing on economic, educational and human development along with security and social dignity and promoting equity among SCs and STs. In accordance with section (3) of the SDF Act, the State Government shall earmark a portion of the total Pragathipaddu outlay of the State in proportion to population of SCs and STs in the state in every financial year to be called as the SC & ST Special Development Fund.

Health Care Seeking Behavior in a Scheduled Tribe Community in India: A Mixed Methods Research Using the Framework of Andersen's Behavioral Model.

India's scheduled tribe population very often bears the brunt of inequity in accessing health care. The mixed-method research assessed the health care seeking behavior (HSB) of a tribal community residing in the eastern fringes of Kolkata metropolis. An adult, preferably the head, in 209 households was interviewed followed by qualitative interviews with relevant stakeholders. Conceptual framework of Andersen's behavioral model helped in identifying the potential predisposing, enabling, and need factors that influenced HSB. A total of 25.4% respondents reportedly sought informal care during last illness episode. Multivariable hierarchical-regression model (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.381) showed that respondents' education level [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.52], household size (AOR = 3.14), nonenrollment to health insurance (AOR = 2.47), decision making by household head (AOR = 2.40), distance from the nearest urban primary health center (AOR = 3.18), and poor perception to illness severity (AOR = 2.24) were significantly associated to inappropriate HSB. Predominant health system barriers that emerged from qualitative interviews were irregular logistics, unfavorable outpatient timing, absence of female doctors, and nonretention of doctors at local urban primary health center. Community level barriers were poor awareness, self-medication practices, poor health insurance coverage, and poor public transportation. Recognition of these determinants may help in developing health promotion interventions tailored to their needs.

Paving the way to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for women from Indigenous communities: lessons from Attappady, India

India is home to the world’s second largest Indigenous population, comprising 8.6% of the national population. They are constitutionally recognised as ‘Scheduled Tribes’ to aid their development after centuries of oppression and socio-cultural marginalisation through the caste system. Limited disaggregated data exist on India’s Scheduled Tribe populations’ health outcomes, including for Indigenous women. Kerala, one of India’s southern states, is an intriguing case study. The State has outperformed other Indian states and South Asian countries with respect to a number of health and education indicators despite its more modest economic performance. Relatively little is known, however, about whether the State’s tribal or ‘Adivasi’ population is prospering. This article used data from a cross-sectional observational study of tribal women conducted in the Attappady area in the Palakkad district in Kerala, South India, which has a dense tribal population. The outcomes for these communities were compared with the relevant United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators as well as Kerala State data to identify areas of growth and need. The findings of this case study highlight successes as well as persisting gaps in health outcomes for women and children in marginalised tribal communities. Using a strengths-based approach, we propose possible strategies to address the perceived gaps.