Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: The Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh has been granted habitat rights, making it the second PVTG to receive such rights in the state.
- Out of 75 PVTGs in India, only three have received habitat rights, including the Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh, the Kamar tribe, and now the Baiga tribe in Chhattisgarh.
About Habitat Rights:
- Habitat rights are granted under the Forest Rights Act and provide communities with rights over their customary territories, cultural practices, livelihood means, biodiversity knowledge, and protection of their natural and cultural heritage.
- Habitat rights help safeguard traditional livelihoods and ecological knowledge, and they empower PVTG communities to access government schemes and initiatives to develop their habitats.
PVTGs are a sub-classification of Scheduled Tribes in India. They are considered more vulnerable than regular Scheduled Tribes.
PVTGs are characterized by:
- Declining or stagnant population
- Low level of literacy
- Pre-agricultural level of technology
- Economically backward
The Government of India renamed Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as PVTGs in 2006. The Dhebar Commission created the PTG category in 1973
