What influences the adoption of acquired traits for tribes in India?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Degree of assimilation

Option (1) Language — Incorrect. Language is a permanent trait: tribes are grouped by the four language families they speak, which they do not acquire later.

Option (2) Ecological habitat — Incorrect. Habitat, whether hills, forests, rural plains or industrial areas, is also counted among the permanent traits; it describes where a tribe lives, not what it has taken over from others.

Option (3) Degree of assimilation — Correct. Acquired traits are classified by two criteria: mode of livelihood and the extent of incorporation into Hindu society. Of these, the dominant classification, in academic sociology and in public affairs alike, is the degree of assimilation into Hindu society, that is, how far a tribe has taken on the ways of the mainstream.

Option (4) Physical features — Incorrect. Physical-racial features (Negrito, Australoid, Mongoloid and so on) are inherited, so they too are permanent traits.

NCERT (2025-26): “Permanent Traits … The ecological habitats covered includes hills, forests, rural plains and urban industrial areas. 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.…

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. However, the dominant classification both in academic sociology as well as in politics and public affairs is the degree of assimilation into Hindu society. Assimilation can be seen either from the point of view of the tribes, or (as has been most often the case) from the point of view of the dominant Hindu mainstream.…”