Tribal population and related facts — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2005

Which of the following statements is not correct?

1. There is no definition of the Scheduled Tribe in the Constitution of India.
2. North-East India accounts for a little over half of the country’s tribal population.
3. The people known as Todas live in the Nilgiri area.
4. Lotha is a language spoken in Nagaland.

Explanation

Option (b) is the correct answer

• Although the North-Eastern states have a high proportion of tribal population, they account for only about 10–15% of India’s total tribal population, whereas a much larger share is concentrated in central Indian states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh. Therefore, North-East India does not account for over half of the country’s tribal population.

Answer: (b) North-East India accounts for a little over half of the country’s tribal population.