70. What materials did Gond artists traditionally employ to make paintings?
[MP Police Constable, 11 December 2025, Shift 2]
(A)Natural colours from soil, leaves and charcoal
(B)Synthetic dye on silk only
(C)Oil paint on varnished wood only
(D)Modern acrylics exclusively
Answer: (A) Natural colours from soil, leaves and charcoal
Explanation: Traditional Gond painting draws on pigments found in the natural environment, including earth, plant matter and charcoal. Works may depict animals, trees and stories. Contemporary Gond artists also use paper and modern materials while preserving characteristic patterns and motifs.
69. In Rigvedic usage, what did “Jana” chiefly denote?
[SSC Selection Post Higher Secondary, 25 July 2025, Shift 2]
(A)A large empire
(B)A tribe or group of related families
(C)A village council
(D)A guild of artisans
Answer: (B) A tribe or group of related families
Explanation: Jana designated a people or tribal collectivity in the early Vedic social order. Smaller groups such as families and villages were parts of wider kin-based communities. It did not originally mean an imperial state or specialised occupational guild.
68. Which statements about the Sixth Schedule are true:
(1) it covers tribal areas of Assam and Tripura;
(2) councils have powers concerning certain forests;
(3) it applies to Jharkhand?
[SSC Selection Post Graduate, 24 July 2025, Shift 3]
(A)1 and 2 only
(B)2 and 3 only
(C)1 and 3 only
(D)1, 2 and 3
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: The Sixth Schedule provides autonomous-council arrangements in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, not Jharkhand. Councils may regulate specified subjects including forests other than reserved forests. Thus the first two statements are correct, while the third is not.
67. Which of these communities is principally found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
[RPF Constable, 7 March 2025, Shift 1]
(A)Toto
(B)Koraga
(C)Kadar
(D)Onge
Answer: (D) Onge
Explanation: The Onge are an indigenous community of Little Andaman in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are listed among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Toto communities are associated with northern West Bengal, whereas Koraga and Kadar occur in southern India.
66. Who led the Munda Rebellion and is remembered as a tribal hero?
[OSSSC Combined Recruitment Prelims, 3 November 2025, Shift 2]
(A)Birsa Munda
(B)Majnu Shah
(C)Shariatullah Khan
(D)Sidhu Murmu
Answer: (A) Birsa Munda
Explanation: Birsa Munda led the movement known as Ulgulan in the Chotanagpur region during the late nineteenth century. It challenged colonial rule and loss of customary land. Sidhu Murmu, another major tribal leader, belonged instead to the earlier Santhal uprising.
65. Consider:
(1) A state Governor recognises and declares its Scheduled Tribes;
(2) a tribe notified in one state need not have ST status in another.
Which statement is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, General Studies, 2024]
(A)1 only
(B)2 only
(C)Both 1 and 2
(D)Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: The President specifies Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 after consulting a state Governor. Recognition is state-specific; a community may be notified in one state but not another. Parliament, rather than individual governors, changes the list through legislation.
64. Which state is especially associated with matrilineal tribal communities tracing descent through women?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History, held 18 August 2024]
(A)Kerala
(B)Karnataka
(C)Meghalaya
(D)Odisha
Answer: (C) Meghalaya
Explanation: The Khasi, Garo and Jaintia of Meghalaya have prominent matrilineal traditions. Descent and family affiliation are traced through women, and inheritance commonly follows maternal lines. Matriliny should not be confused with matriarchy, since public authority may still involve men.
63. In which state are Toda communities predominantly found?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History, held 18 August 2024]
(A)Tamil Nadu
(B)Bihar
(C)Sikkim
(D)Jharkhand
Answer: (A) Tamil Nadu
Explanation: The Toda live chiefly in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu. Their culture is associated with buffalo pastoralism, distinctive curved-roof dwellings and embroidered textiles. Toda society is geographically and culturally different from the Khasi and Garo communities of the Northeast.
62. Which two criteria help classify Scheduled Tribe communities as PVTGs:
(i) caste;
(ii) stagnant or declining population;
(iii) very low literacy;
(iv) sex ratio?
[CGPSC Prelims, 11 February 2024]
(A)i and ii
(B)iii and iv
(C)i and iv
(D)ii and iii
Answer: (D) ii and iii
Explanation: Identifying Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups involves characteristics such as stagnant or declining population, low literacy, pre-agricultural technology and economic vulnerability. Caste and sex ratio alone are not the named criteria in this question. PVTGs receive focused welfare attention.
61. Which tribal dance is prevalent in Andhra Pradesh’s Araku Valley?
[SSC MTS, 23 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A)Dhimsa
(B)Bagurumba
(C)Jhumur
(D)Bardo Chham
Answer: (A) Dhimsa
Explanation: Dhimsa is performed among tribal communities in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh. Dancers often move rhythmically in a group, accompanied by percussion. Bagurumba, by contrast, is associated with Assam’s Bodo community, while Bardo Chham belongs to Arunachal Pradesh.
