CBSE Class 10/Overview
Curriculum 2026–27
Practice
India Cluster· Domain Code TRIBE

Tribes & Indigenous Heritage — Constitutional Governance, PVTGs & Tribal Movements

India is home to over 705 distinct Scheduled Tribes, comprising 8.6 percent of the national population according to the 2011 Census. The Constitution provides robust institutional safeguards, establishing autonomous governance frameworks under the Fifth Schedule for central and peninsular tribal tracts and the Sixth Schedule for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. Among these indigenous communities, 75 have been identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) requiring targeted conservation and development initiatives. From the pre-colonial era through the British colonial period, tribal communities mounted formidable resistance against land alienation and forest exploitation through movements such as the Santhal Hool and the Birsa Munda-led Ulgulan. Today, the preservation of indigenous linguistic diversity, customary forest rights, and cultural heritage remains central to Indian constitutional jurisprudence.

Prescribed Topics & Learning Modules

Public Sample Quizzes & Solved Questions

Test your recall immediately. Select an option to see instant verification and full pedagogical explanations.

Question 1Scheduled Tribes & 5th/6th Schedule Governance
easy

Which schedule of the Constitution of India contains special autonomous governance provisions for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram?

Question 2Historical Tribal Uprisings & Leaders
easy

Birsa Munda, the revered tribal freedom fighter and folk hero who led the 'Ulgulan' (Great Tumult) against British colonial land policies, belonged to which present-day Indian state?

Question 3PVTGs & Indigenous Cultural Heritage
easy

Which Indian state is home to the highest number of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), with 13 recognized communities including the Bondo, Dongria Kondh, and Chuktia Bhunjia?

Question 4Scheduled Tribes & 5th/6th Schedule Governance
medium

Under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, who is empowered to declare an area as a 'Scheduled Area' or alter its territorial boundaries?

Question 5PVTGs & Indigenous Cultural Heritage
medium

Which commission appointed by the Government of India in 1960–1961 recommended the creation of a distinct category originally designated as 'Primitive Tribal Groups' (PTGs)?

Question 6Historical Tribal Uprisings & Leaders
medium

The historic Santhal Hool (Rebellion) of 1855–1856 against British colonial administrators and the zamindari system in the Damin-i-Koh region was spearheaded by which pair of brothers?

Question 7Scheduled Tribes & 5th/6th Schedule Governance
medium

The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) was enacted by Parliament based on the recommendations of which expert committee?

Question 8PVTGs & Indigenous Cultural Heritage
hard

Which Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) is indigenous to the dense tropical forests of Great Nicobar Island and is classified anthropologically within the Mongoloid racial lineage, distinct from the Negrito tribes of the Andamans?

Question 9Historical Tribal Uprisings & Leaders
hard

The Rampa Rebellion of 1922–1924, waged in the Eastern Ghats against the oppressive Madras Forest Act of 1882 and restrictions on 'podu' (shifting cultivation), was led by which charismatic leader?

Question 10Scheduled Tribes & 5th/6th Schedule Governance
hard

Under Article 338A of the Constitution of India, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) comprises a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and how many other full-time Members, including at least one woman?

Related Categories in India