Chenchu Tribe | 25 Oct 2024

Source: TH

Why in News? 

The Chenchu tribe in Andhra Pradesh is encountering growing difficulties as a result of the discontinuation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) Chenchu Special Project, which has negatively impacted their livelihoods, food security, and access to essential services such as healthcare and education.

Who are Chenchus?

  • The Chenchus, also called 'Chenchuvaru' or 'Chenchwar', is numerically the smallest Scheduled Tribe of Odisha. 
    • Their traditional way of life has been based on hunting and food gathering. 
    • They are considered one of the oldest Telugu-speaking tribes. 
  • They are one of the 12 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Andhra Pradesh, a classification given to tribes with low literacy, stagnant population growth, and limited access to development. 
  • They mainly reside in forested regions, including the Nallamala forest and surrounding areas, relying on forest produce for their livelihood. 

Major Initiatives for PVTGs 

What is  MGNREGS? 

  • About: 
    • It is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Rural development. 
    • It provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. 
  • Legal Right to Work:  
    • Unlike earlier employment guarantee schemes, the act aims at addressing the causes of chronic poverty through a rights-based framework. 
    • At least one-third of beneficiaries have to be women. 
    • Wages must be paid according to the statutory minimum wages specified for agricultural labourers in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India: (2019)

  1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
  2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
  3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
  4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

Which of the statements given above are correct? 

(a) 1, 2 and 3 

(b) 2, 3 and 4 

(c) 1, 2 and 4 

(d) 1, 3 and 4 

Ans: (c) 

Q. At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006? (2021)

(a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change 

(b) Ministry of Panchayati Raj 

(c) Ministry of Rural Development 

(d) Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Ans: (d)