BharatNotes Tribe
noun (countable); also occasionally verb (informal/rare)Usage in a UPSC answer
The Constitution's safeguards for Scheduled Tribes acknowledge that genuine inclusion requires not the assimilation of every tribe into the mainstream, but the protection of its distinct cultural identity, customary land rights and self-governance under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
tribal (adj), tribalism (n), tribalist (n), tribally (adv), tribesperson (n)
Root
Latin tribus = one of the three founding divisions of Rome; tri- = three; via Old French tribu
Etymology
From Latin tribus, originally referring to the three founding divisions of the Roman people; entered English via Old French tribu; related to tri- ("three").
Memory Hook
TRIbe holds the Latin tri- ("three"): picture THREE founding families banding together into one kinship group under a single chief.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A social group defined by common descent, culture, language and territory, and the term carries a specific constitutional meaning in India that questions test. Article 366(25) defines Scheduled Tribes as those communities the President specifies by order under Article 342, so the category is administrative rather than anthropological, and no definition of tribe appears in the Constitution at all. The criteria applied in practice, drawn from the Lokur Committee, are indications of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the wider community and backwardness. Within the category, 75 groups across 18 states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, a class created on the Dhebar Commission's recommendation in 1975 as Primitive Tribal Groups and renamed in 2006, identified by declining or stagnant population, pre-agricultural technology, very low literacy and subsistence economy.
Don’t Confuse It With
A Scheduled Tribe is a community specified by presidential order under Article 342, so the category is administrative and a group may be scheduled in one State and not in another. A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group is a class within the Scheduled Tribes identified by declining population and pre-agricultural technology, and there are 75 of them. Adivasi is the political term of self-description meaning original inhabitant, which the Constitution does not use. The Fifth Schedule governs Scheduled Areas generally while the Sixth Schedule applies to four north-eastern States through autonomous councils.
Hindi Meaning
जनजाति (janjāti); अनुसूचित जनजाति for Scheduled Tribe and आदिवासी (ādivāsī) as the term of self-description.
Common Questions
- How does the Constitution define a tribe?
- It does not. Article 342 empowers the President to specify which communities are Scheduled Tribes, so the category is administrative, and Article 366(25) simply refers back to that order.
- What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups?
- A class of 75 groups within the Scheduled Tribes, across 18 states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, identified by declining population, pre-agricultural technology, very low literacy and a subsistence economy.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2024 — Society & Social Issues
- Prelims 2024 — Tribal Welfare
- Prelims 2013 — Tribes
- Prelims 2011 — Society & Social Issues
- Prelims 2011 — Welfare Schemes
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Tribe” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation
