Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
PVTGs are the most vulnerable sub-category of Scheduled Tribes, identified by the government as requiring special protection and development attention due to their extremely small and declining (or stagnant) populations and pre-agricultural existence.
- India has 75 notified PVTGs spread across 18 states and 1 Union Territory (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)
- Andaman and Nicobar PVTGs include: Shompens (Great Nicobar), Onge (Little Andaman), Jarawa (South Andaman), Sentinelese (North Sentinel Island), Andamanese
- Criteria for PVTG identification (Dhebar Commission / Shilu Ao Committee refinements from Lokur framework):
- Declining or stagnant population
- Pre-agricultural level of technology (hunting-gathering, shifting cultivation)
- Very low literacy
- No written language
- Economic and social backwardness
- The Shompens are strictly protected; outsider contact is prohibited to prevent disease transmission (they lack immunity to common infections)
- The Nicobarese are a Scheduled Tribe but not a PVTG — they have a more settled existence with monetary economy and tribal council governance
● Tracked since February 25, 2026 · last seen July 22, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief