RAS question
Which is the only Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Rajasthan, and in which district is it primarily found?
Correct answer: (C) Saharia — Baran.
Saharia is the only Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in Rajasthan, and it is primarily found in Baran district.
Explanation
Rajasthan's only PVTG is Saharia, primarily concentrated in Baran district, especially in Kishanganj and Shahabad tehsils. This matters because the PVTG label is not a general tribal category; it marks communities with extreme vulnerability, including pre-agricultural traits and stagnant or declining population. The Government of Rajasthan's Economic Review supports the Baran link by referring to houseless Sahariya PVTG families in eight Panchayat Samitis of Baran district under PM-JANMAN, a scheme for improving the socio-economic conditions of PVTGs. The older livelihood context also fits the classification: Saharias have traditionally been forest-dwellers dependent on minor forest produce, which is why the community is treated separately from other Rajasthan tribes in welfare and exam questions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Damor is associated with Dungarpur in the option, but Rajasthan's only PVTG is Saharia, not Damor.
- (B) Kathodi is linked with Udaipur in the option and the Government of Rajasthan, Economic Review 2025-26 discusses Kathodi separately from Saharia, while the PVTG answer here is Saharia of Baran.
- (D) Garasia may be associated with Sirohi and Pali in the option context, but Rajasthan's PVTG answer is Saharia of Baran.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan geography and tribal demography part of the RAS syllabus, especially the distinction between Scheduled Tribe distribution and PVTG status. It recurs because Baran's Saharia community connects location, vulnerability and welfare schemes in one fact pattern.