Overview

• In a July 17 letter, the ministry urged the Registrar General to arrange a distinct enumeration of PVTG households and to capture demographic, cultural and socio-economic details.
• If approved, this would mark the first separate Census count for PVTGs, which comprise 75 groups across 18 states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• A recent habitation survey using the PM Gati Shakti app led the ministry to inform Parliament that PVTGs are now estimated at 45.56 lakh, up from an earlier 28 lakh.
• Experts note that about 40 PVTGs appear under broader Scheduled Tribe entries while many sub-groups are not distinctly recorded, creating significant data gaps.
• Scholars have called for revising identification criteria and for a post-enumeration development index, as the 2027 Census is slated to begin with house listing in April 2026.