Context:

In a policy document, which comes almost two years after American national was allegedly killed by the Sentinelese on the Island, the Anthropological Survey of India (ANSI) says the “right of the people to the island is non-negotiable”.

Explain: Sentinelese

• The Sentinelese people are from an endangered Indian tribe living in North Sentinel Island, located near the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, India.
• With a population of around 100, they are among the most isolated of 75 PVTGs across the country.
• They are a primitive hunter-gatherer tribe that entirely relies on the sea and the island forests for food and other resources.
• Also, they are among the five in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which include Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, and Shompens.
• They are a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG).

Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG)

• The particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG)is a Government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with, particularly low development indices.
• Currently, 75 tribal groups have been categorized by the Ministry of Home Affairs (based on Census) as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• The government of India follows the following criteria for the identification of PVTGs.
• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population.

Anthropological Survey of India (ANSI)

• ANSI is the only research organization to pursue anthropological research under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India
• The Anthropological Survey of India’s genesis was from the Zoological and Anthropological.