MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q57: Which of the following is not well-matched ? Tribe : Sub

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q57?

C or D (both accepted by the official key). Both C and D are accepted (grace). The question asks which pairing is NOT correct, and two options fail. D, Korku - Mahar, is the clear mismatch: Mahar is a distinct Scheduled Caste of central India and the Deccan (Dr B. R. Ambedkar's community), not a sub-group of the Korku — the Korku's own sub-divisions are Mowasi, Bawaria, Ruma and Bondoya. C, Bharia - Patliya, was also treated as not well-matched, because Patliya is not among the recognised sub-divisions of the Bharia. Because both pairings break down, the commission's key credits either C or D.

MPPSC 2019 Prelims Paper-I · Question 57 of 99

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Which of the following is not well-matched ? Tribe : Sub Caste

(a)Gond - Agariya
(b)Baiga - Bijhwar
(c)Bharia - Patliya
(d)Korku - Mahar

Answer

C or D (both accepted by the official key)

Why

Both C and D are accepted (grace). The question asks which pairing is NOT correct, and two options fail. D, Korku - Mahar, is the clear mismatch: Mahar is a distinct Scheduled Caste of central India and the Deccan (Dr B. R. Ambedkar's community), not a sub-group of the Korku — the Korku's own sub-divisions are Mowasi, Bawaria, Ruma and Bondoya. C, Bharia - Patliya, was also treated as not well-matched, because Patliya is not among the recognised sub-divisions of the Bharia. Because both pairings break down, the commission's key credits either C or D.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Gond - Agariya — This pairing IS correct, so it is not the answer — the Agaria are an iron-smelting branch that split off from the Gond of central India.
(b)Baiga - Bijhwar — This pairing IS correct, so it is not the answer — Bijhwar (Binjhwar) is a recognised sub-group of the Baiga, alongside Narotia, Bharotia, Nahar, Rai Bhaina and Kath Bhaina.

Concept

Madhya Pradesh's major tribes have named endogamous sub-groups. Gond splits into groups such as the Agaria (iron-smelters); Baiga into Bijhwar, Narotia, Nahar and others; Korku into Mowasi, Bawaria, Ruma and Bondoya. 'Mahar' is not a tribal sub-group at all — it is a separate Scheduled Caste — which is exactly why Korku-Mahar reads as the textbook wrong match.

In a 'which is NOT matched' question, look for the odd one out. Mahar stands out at once as a Scheduled Caste rather than a tribal sub-division. This item became a grace question because a second pairing, Bharia-Patliya, was also judged inaccurate, so the commission accepted either C or D.

Key facts

Agaria = an iron-smelting offshoot of the Gond (Mandla, Dindori, Balaghat; and Chhattisgarh).
Baiga sub-groups: Bijhwar (Binjhwar), Narotia, Bharotia, Nahar, Rai Bhaina, Kath Bhaina.
Korku sub-groups: Mowasi, Bawaria, Ruma, Bondoya — Mahar is NOT one of them.
Mahar is a Scheduled Caste, not a tribe or a tribal sub-group.

Tribe : sub-group — which pairings hold?

Gond -> Agariya→Matched (Agaria = iron-smelting Gond branch)

Baiga -> Bijhwar→Matched (a recognised Baiga sub-group)

Bharia -> Patliya→Not matched — accepted answer

Korku -> Mahar→Not matched — Mahar is a Scheduled Caste

Two pairings fail, so either C or D is accepted.

Study next

Major tribes of Madhya Pradesh (Gond, Baiga, Bhil, Korku, Sahariya, Bharia)Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of MP: Baiga, Bharia, SahariyaThe difference between a Scheduled Tribe and a Scheduled CasteVerrier Elwin's tribal studies (The Agaria, The Baiga)Sub-groups and gotras of central-Indian tribes

Common traps

Treating Mahar (a Scheduled Caste) as a tribal sub-group
Assuming a matching question can have only one wrong pair

MPPSC frequently gives tribe-to-subcaste / tribe-to-region / tribe-to-dance pairs and asks for the odd one out; know the sub-groups of the big MP tribes.

Related PYQs

UPSC_2013_GS1_Q732013Open & attempt →

Consider the following pairs: Tribe : State — 1. Limboo (Limbu) : Sikkim; 2. Karbi : Himachal Pradesh; 3. Dongaria Kondh : Odisha; 4. Bonda : Tamil Nadu. Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer(a) 1 and 3 only

Same concept — spotting the correctly (and incorrectly) matched tribe pairs by checking each pairing.

MPPSC_2025_PRE_PaperI_Q532025Open & attempt →

Which one of the following is not one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) of Madhya Pradesh ?

(a) Saharia
(b) Baiga
(c) Bharia
(d) Asur

Answer(d) Asur

Same MP-tribe knowledge — MP's three PVTGs are Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya; two of them (Baiga and Bharia) are the very tribes tested in this 2019 question.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Bijhwar, Narotia and Nahar are sub-groups of which tribe?
- (a)Baiga
- (b)Korku
- (c)Bhil
- (d)Sahariya
Answer(a) Baiga.
practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a Scheduled Caste, not a tribal sub-group?
- (a)Agaria
- (b)Mahar
- (c)Bijhwar
- (d)Mowasi
Answer(b) Mahar — the others are sub-groups of the Gond, Baiga and Korku respectively.