Chapter Overview

Almost one person in three in Chhattisgarh belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (अनुसूचित जनजाति): about 78.2 lakh people, 30.6% of the state (Census 2011), in about 42 notified communities. From the Gond (गोंड), the largest, to the tiny Birhor and Pahadi Korwa, these communities shape the state’s culture, forests, politics and development debates. This chapter is a high-yield Prelims area (who lives where, PVTGs, the Ghotul) and the backbone of Mains GS-IV’s “social aspects of Chhattisgarh”.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Name the major tribes, their size order and their home districts across the north (Surguja), centre (Maikal) and south (Bastar) belts
List the five central PVTGs and the two state-declared groups, with their features, habitat rights and PM-JANMAN
Explain tribal kinship, marriage forms, village councils, beliefs and the Ghotul (घोटुल) of the Muria
Recall the constitutional safeguards (Arts 164, 244, 275, 338A, 342 and more) and the main laws and schemes
Write balanced Mains answers on tribal institutions, development and the gaps that remain

Prerequisites

Population and Census: the state’s Census 2011 baseline
Physical Geography of Chhattisgarh: the hills and forests where tribal regions lie
Fundamental Rights: the equality articles that permit special provisions for STs

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. Numbers: 30.6% ST, about 42 tribes"] --> B["2. Three belts: north, centre, south"]
    B --> C["3. Major tribes and languages"]
    C --> D["4. PVTGs: 5 central + 2 state"]
    D --> E["5. Habitat rights and PM-JANMAN"]
    E --> F["6. Clan, marriage, village council"]
    F --> G["7. The Ghotul"]
    G --> H["8. Constitutional safeguards"]
    H --> I["9. Laws, schemes, state institutions"]
    I --> J["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	Major Tribes and Their Distribution	Census 2011 figures, Gond–Kanwar–Oraon, Bastar and Surguja tribes, languages, ST-list changes	13 min
2	Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups	Abujhmaria, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar, Pahadi Korwa; Bhunjia and Pando; habitat rights; PM-JANMAN	12 min
3	Tribal Social Organisation and the Ghotul	Clans and totems, marriage forms, village councils, beliefs, Ghotul and Dhumkuria	13 min
4	Tribal Development and Constitutional Safeguards	Constitutional articles, PESA, FRA, schemes, state institutions, Mains evaluation	14 min
—	Quick Revision	Every name, number and article on one page	5 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Prelims P-I (Chhattisgarh part): “which tribe lives in which district”, the largest tribe, the PVTG list (and the odd one out), Ghotul terms (chelik, motiari, Siredar, Belosa), marriage forms such as lamsena, tribal languages, and article numbers such as Art. 164 and 338A. Expect match-the-following and statement-based questions.
Mains P-VI GS-IV (Social aspects of Chhattisgarh): tribal social institutions, the Ghotul, change in tribal society, PVTG vulnerability, and the working of safeguards. Short answers (60–150 words) on a single tribe or institution; long answers (250 words) on development and safeguards.
Also useful for: Mains GS-V (welfare and laws: PESA, FRA, Atrocities Act), the Essay paper (development and tribal identity), and the Interview (Bastar, Ghotul, PESA questions are natural for a candidate from the state).

Quick Reference

Fact	Detail
ST population	About 78.2 lakh, 30.6% of the state (Census 2011)
Notified tribes	About 42 (commonly cited; list amended after 2022)
Largest tribes	Gond (over half of STs) > Kanwar > Oraon
Highest ST share (2011 districts)	Bijapur (~80%), Narayanpur, Dantewada
Central PVTGs (5)	Abujhmaria, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar, Pahadi Korwa
State-declared (2)	Bhunjia, Pando
Ghotul	Muria youth dormitory; chelik and motiari; Siredar and Belosa; Elwin (1947)
Oraon dormitory	Dhumkuria
Tribal welfare minister	Art. 164(1) proviso, CG added by the 94th Amendment (2006)
NCST	Art. 338A, 89th Amendment (2003)
Scheduled Areas	Fifth Schedule; no Sixth Schedule area in CG
ST seats	29 of 90 Assembly; 4 of 11 Lok Sabha
PM-JANMAN	15 Nov 2023, Khunti; 75 PVTGs; ₹24,104 crore

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ Major Tribes and Their Distribution