Which of the following statement is incorrect about tribals in India?

Tribal groups have had long and close association with Hindu society and culture, making the boundaries between ‘tribe’ and ‘caste’ quite porous.

The correct answer is Option 3: The ecological isolation of many tribes have been absolute.

Option 1: The jana or tribes were believed to be ‘people of the forest’. This statement is correct. The term jana referred to tribes whose distinctive habitat in forest and hill regions influenced their social, economic and political life.

Option 2: The ecological isolation of many tribes have been absolute. This statement is incorrect. The text clearly states that ecological isolation was nowhere absolute. Tribal groups maintained long and close associations with Hindu society and culture, resulting in porous boundaries between tribes and castes.

Option 3: Tribal groups have had long and close association with Hindu society and culture, making the boundaries between ‘tribe’ and ‘caste’ quite porous. This statement is correct. Continuous interaction between tribal and non-tribal communities blurred the distinction between tribes and castes over time.

Option 4: Today, barring the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country that are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. This statement is correct. Outside the North-Eastern states, there are only areas of tribal concentration, not regions inhabited exclusively by tribal communities, due to long-term migration of both tribal and non-tribal populatio