Read the passage and answer following questions.
Assertions of tribal identity are on the rise. This can be laid at the door of the emergence of a middle class within the tribal society. With the emergence of this class in particular, issues of culture, tradition, livelihood, even control over land and resources, as well as demands for a share in the benefits of the projects of modernity, have become an integral part of the articulation of identity among the tribes. There is, therefore, a new consciousness among tribes now coming from its middle classes. The middle classes themselves are a consequence of modern education and modern occupations, aided in turn by the reservation policies.
The acquired traits of the tribal communities include:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Mode of livelihood
Option (1) Ecological habitat — Incorrect. Tribes are classified by ‘permanent’ and ‘acquired’ traits. Ecological habitat is a permanent trait, along with region, language and physical characteristics. The habitats covered include hills, forests, rural plains and urban industrial areas.
Option (2) Physical-racial terms — Incorrect. Physical characteristics are also a permanent trait. In physical-racial terms, tribes are classified under the Negrito, Australoid, Mongoloid, Dravidian and Aryan categories.
Option (3) Size — Incorrect. Size is described among the permanent traits: tribes vary from about seven million people to some Andamanese islanders who may number less than a hundred.
Option (4) Mode of livelihood — Correct. An acquired trait is one a community takes on through its way of life, not one it is born with. Classifications based on acquired traits use two criteria: mode of livelihood, and extent of incorporation into Hindu society. By livelihood, tribes are grouped as fishermen, food gatherers and hunters, shifting cultivators, peasants, and plantation and industrial workers.
NCERT (2025-26): “Classifications of Tribal Societies … In terms of positive characteristics, tribes have been classified according to their ‘permanent’ and ‘acquired’ traits. Permanent traits include region, language, physical characteristics and ecological habitat.” “Permanent Traits … In terms of language, tribes are categorised into four categories. Two of them, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian, are shared by the rest of the Indian population as well, and tribes account for only about 1% of the former and about 3% of the latter. The other two language groups, the Austric and Tibeto-Burman, are primarily spoken by tribals, who account for all of the first and over 80% of the second group. In physical-racial terms, tribes are classified under the Negrito, Australoid, Mongoloid, Dravidian and Aryan categories. The last two are again shared with the rest of the population of India. In terms of size, tribes vary a great deal, ranging from about seven million to some Andamanese islanders who may number less than a hundred persons.…” “Acquired Traits … Classifications based on acquired traits use two main criteria – mode of livelihood, and extent of incorporation into Hindu society – or a combination of the two.” “On the basis of livelihood, tribes can be categorised into fishermen, food gatherers and hunters, shifting cultivators, peasants and plantation and industrial workers.…” |