Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Mission

The Government in Budget 2023-24 has made the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Development Mission.

The mission is aimed to improve socio-economic conditions of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) by saturating PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The mission envisages availability of Rs.15,000 crore from the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes, for activities to be undertaken in the next three years under the Mission.

Who are PVTGs?

In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, which are less developed among the tribal groups. 

In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). PVTGs have some basic characteristics -they are mostly homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically isolated, social institutes cast in a simple mold, absence of written language, relatively simple technology and a slower rate of change etc.

In 1975, the Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs and declared 52 such groups, while in 1993 an additional 23 groups were added to the category, making it a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).

Govt. of India follows the criteria for Identification of PVTGs

• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population.