MPPSC 2022 Prelims Paper-I · Question 14 of 100

Correct — A, Saharia (Sahariya). Among the Sahariya — one of Madhya Pradesh's three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), found chiefly in the Gwalior-Chambal region (Shivpuri, Sheopur, Guna, Morena) — a respected community elder or headman is addressed with the honorific title 'Khutia Patel', 'Patel' being a title commonly used for a village or clan head among several central Indian tribal communities.

• (b)Baiga — The Baiga are another of Madhya Pradesh's three PVTGs (concentrated in the Mandla-Dindori-Balaghat belt), but they are not the tribe addressed as 'Khutia Patel'.
• (c)Bhumia — 'Bhumia' is a term/sub-group associated with the Baiga in parts of central India, not the Sahariya, and carries no 'Khutia Patel' honorific.
• (d)None of the above — Wrong — a specific tribe, the Sahariya, is the established answer.

Madhya Pradesh has three officially recognised Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) — Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya — each concentrated in a different belt of the state and each carrying its own customary titles and practices. The Sahariya, found mainly in the Gwalior-Chambal region, also live across the state border in Rajasthan's Baran-Kota belt.

MPPSC likes to pair a PVTG's name with one distinguishing cultural fact — an honorific title, a region, or a recent right/scheme granted to them — to test beyond simple 'name the PVTG' recall, so anchor one unique marker to each of the three names.

• Madhya Pradesh's three PVTGs: Baiga, Bharia, Sahariya
• Sahariya are concentrated in the Gwalior-Chambal region (Shivpuri, Sheopur, Guna, Morena)
• Sahariya also live across the state border in Rajasthan's Baran-Kota belt
• A respected Sahariya elder/headman is addressed with the honorific 'Khutia Patel'

• Mixing up Madhya Pradesh's three PVTGs — Baiga, Bharia, Sahariya — with each other's regions and honorific titles
• Assuming 'Bhumia' names a separate tribe rather than a term linked to the Baiga in some regions

Both MPPSC and UPSC test PVTG names plus one distinguishing fact (region, title, or a right/scheme granted to them) — lock each PVTG to one unique peg.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which of the following is NOT one of Madhya Pradesh's three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

  • (a)Baiga
  • (b)Bharia
  • (c)Sahariya
  • (d)Gond

  Answer(d) Gond — the Gond are Madhya Pradesh's largest tribal community but are not classified as a PVTG.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Sahariya tribe, found in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior-Chambal region, is also concentrated across the state border in which other state?

  • (a)Uttar Pradesh
  • (b)Rajasthan
  • (c)Chhattisgarh
  • (d)Maharashtra

  Answer(b) Rajasthan — the Sahariya are concentrated in Rajasthan's Baran-Kota belt as well.