Context :- 

Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University here has identified three villages — Gaberiya, Kudagara and Singarsari — that it wants to adopt for carrying out awareness drives on various issues besides engaging its students and teachers with on-field projects for the overall development of the hamlets.

The vice chancellor of the newly established varsity said the villages were chosen because of the institute’s local connect and better contacts in these areas.First, awareness drives and workshops on various social issues like alcoholism, witch-hunting, health and nutrition will be carried out. Initially, the sensitisation sessions will start with self-help groups and women folk in the villages.

Tribals in Jharkhand :- 

The Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of Jharkhand State is as per 2011 census 8,645,042(Others including Sarna-4,012,622,Christian-1,338,175) of the total population (32,988,134) of the State. Among all States and UTs, Jharkhand holds 6th and 10th ranks terms of the ST population and the percentage share of the ST population to the total population of the State respectively.

The growth of the ST population has been 17.3 per cent which is lower by 6 percentage point if compared with the growth of the State’s total population (23.3 per cent)during 1991-2001. The state has a total of thirty (30) Scheduled Tribes and all of them have been enumerated at 2001 census. The Scheduled Tribes are primarily rural as 91.7per cent of them reside in villages. District wise distribution of ST population shows that Gumla district has the highest proportion of STs (68.4per cent).

The STs constitute more than half of the total population in Lohardaga and Pashchimi Singhbhum districts whereas Ranchi and Pakaur districts have 41.8 – 44.6 per cent tribal population. Kodarma district (0.8 percent) preceded by Chatra (3.8 per cent) has the lowest proportion of the STs Population. Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups.

With the passage of time, and with growing awareness of the developmental issue, the scene has changed somewhat. The special provisions for scheduled tribes, including reservation in jobs and representation in assemblies and parliament, were put into effect. A number of development schemes and programmes were conceived and implemented in various aspects of their life. These have altered the social structure of tribal Jharkhand to some extent.

In 1975 the concept of PTG (Primitive Tribal Groups) emerged in which the tribes pursuing hunting-gathering, and swiddening (shifting cultivation) were included, and special developmental programmes for them were initiated. In Jharkhand nine tribes have been classified as PTG- Asur, Birhor, Savar, Hill Kharia, Korwa, Birjia, Sauria Paharia, Mal Paharia, and Parhaiya. Since Hill Kharia in this group is a section of Kharia which is a part of settled agriculturist group, some confusion is being created as to the number of PTG in Jharkhand.

There are 36 tribes in Jharkhand. They are not homogeneous entity. There is considerable difference between their language, ethnicity, tradition, rituals etc. Ethinolinguistically and Culturally, They can divided into three category:- 

• Indo-Aryan language (Nagpuri, Kurmali, Khortha) speaking tribe and caste( Called Sadan in Jharkhand): Chero, Lohra/Blacksmith, Chik-baraik/Weaver, Binjhia, Kharwar etc. Probably they are in Chhotanagpur plateau at least since 2000 BCE or 1450 BCE as various tool from both in Copper and Iron age found in this region. Local pottery of chotanagpur plateau have typical feature of black and red ware culture of Gangetic plain(1450 - 500 BCE). Several microlith, iron slags, wheel made pottery have found in Khunti district of Jharkhand, their radio carbon date is 1401 BCE to 837 BCE. It is also possible Indo-European speaker in Chotanagpur pleatue region since 3000 BCE as Several cave paintings have found in Hazaribagh district.
• Dravidian language speaking tribe: Kurukh, Malto tribe. According to the Indian Anthropological Society, Konkan is said to be the original home of the Kurukh tribes, from whence they migrated to Northern India. Probably Kurukh people might have migrated to chotanagpur pleatue from Deccan pleatue.
• Austro asiatic language speaking tribe: Santhal, Munda, Ho, Kharia, Asur, Birhor tribe etc. According to several genetic study, Paternal ancestor of Austro-asciactic tribes came to East India around 4000–3500 year ago from south east Asia as hunter gatherer. Later they adopted Agriculture.