10-day-Long Tribal Festival Aadi Mahotsav in Jamshedpur

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on October 7 inaugurated the 10-day-long tribal festival Aadi Mahotsav in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. 

• The festival showcases art and craftsmanship through stalls put up by 336 PVTG tribes, tribal communities, and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras beneficiaries from all over the country.

About Aadi Mahotsav

The Aadi Mahotsav is an annual initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs that celebrates the spirit of tribal entrepreneurship, craft, culture, cuisine, commerce and age-old traditional art. 

• It serves as a platform to showcase the rich and diverse heritage of tribes from across the country. With over 150 stalls, the event will feature tribal art, handicrafts, natural produce and delectable cuisine. 
• Mr Munda on this occasion said that Aadi Mahotsav entrusted the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat to the tribal communities coming from all over the country. 
• He also said, such festivals provide a platform to the tribal people and also help promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Vocal for Local. 
• Mr. Munda added that he is happy that Aadi Mahotsav is being organised in Jharkhand. The festival shall rope in more customers to the tribal people ahead of the upcoming festival season. 
• Apart from music, art, painting and cuisines, the Aadi Mahotsav offers the opportunity to meet artisans, learn about their way of life and gain a deeper understanding of tribal culture and traditions. 
• As 2023 is designated as the ‘International Year of Millets’, the Aadi Mahotsav would also be showcasing millets grown by Tribals from across the country.

About PVTGs 

In 1973, the Dhebar Commission established Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a distinct category within the tribal groups. These PTGs were considered less developed than other tribal groups. 

The Government of India later renamed PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in 2006. 

PVTGs share some basic characteristics, such as being mostly homogeneous with a small population. They are also often physically isolated, with social institutions cast in a simple mold, lack a written language, have relatively simple technology, and a slower rate of change. 

The Indian government created a separate category called PVTGs in 1975 to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups. 

Initially, 52 groups were declared, and in 1993 an additional 23 groups were added. This made a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one Union Territory, according to the 2011 census. 

• The identification criteria for PVTGs include a pre-agricultural level of technology, low levels of literacy, economic backwardness, and a declining or stagnant population.