Characteristics of tribes are:

A. Tribes are social groups
B. They are modem and have sufficient resources
C. Tribes have distinctive habitat in the hill and forest
D. They are marked by poverty, powerlessness and stigma by Indian Constitution

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

A, C, D only

The correct answer is Option (2) → A, C, D only

B. They are modern and have sufficient resources: This is not true. Most tribes live in remote areas with limited access to resources and modern amenities.

The Scheduled Tribes are social groups (A) recognised by the Indian Constitution as specially marked by poverty, powerlessness and social stigma (D). The jana or tribes were believed to be ‘people of the forest’ whose distinctive habitat in the hill and forest areas (C) shaped their economic, social and political attributes. However, ecological isolation was nowhere absolute. Tribal groups have had long and close association with Hindu society and culture, making the boundaries between ‘tribe’ and ‘caste’ quite porous.