Does India's tribal development policy reflect the aspirations for a socially grounded and equity-based governance? Justify your…

Does India's tribal development policy reflect the aspirations for a socially grounded and equity-based governance? Justify your answer. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

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क्या भारत की जनजातीय विकास नीति सामाजिक आधार वाली और समतामूलक शासन की आकांक्षाओं को प्रतिबिंबित करती है? अपने उत्तर के औचित्य को स्पष्ट कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.

India’s tribal policy partly reflects socially grounded, equity-based governance. The Fifth Schedule governs Scheduled Areas in ten States, while the Sixth Schedule creates autonomous district councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. PESA, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas over minor forest produce, land alienation and local governance, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises individual and community forest rights; Article 46, Article 275(1) grants and reservation anchor equity. Samatha (1997) restricted transfer of tribal land in Scheduled Areas for mining, and Niyamgiri/Vedanta (2013) left Gram Sabhas to decide whether mining would affect their rights under the FRA. PM-JANMAN (2023) for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras target inclusion. Yet the Xaxa Committee (2014) found that development often meant displacement without adequate rehabilitation, while high rejection of FRA claims and uneven PESA rules weaken equity. The framework is thus aspirational, but its equity claim depends on Gram Sabha consent, forest-rights implementation and rehabilitation.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS2 Social Justice / Governance

What earns full marks: Clear claim, 3-4 specific reasons with evidence, balanced conclusion, bonus element.

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

The answer Take a clear position on whether tribal development policy reflects socially grounded, equity-based governance, and justify it with constitutional, legal, scheme-level and implementation evidence. 10 marks · 150 words

justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- Clear claim on whether policy reflects equity
- 3-4 specific reasons (e.g., PESA, 5th/6th Schedule, reservations)
- Evidence of social grounding (e.g., FRA, tribal self-governance)
- Balanced conclusion acknowledging gaps
Loses marks
- Reciting Articles without analysis
- Activist tone without evidence
- Ending without reform or balanced judgment
Earns more
- Mention of PESA Act 1996
- Reference to 5th/6th Schedule protections
- Citation of specific schemes (e.g., TRIFED, Van Dhan)
- Identify implementation gaps: displacement without rehabilitation, FRA claim rejections, uneven PESA rules
Extra mark
- Cite the Xaxa Committee (2014) or Bhuria Commission findings
- Cite Samatha (1997) or Niyamgiri (2013) on tribal land and Gram Sabha decision-making

What "Justify" is asking you to do

Defend a position with reasons that carry evidence, and show why the contrary view does not hold. Where the stem runs as a question and asks you to justify your answer, the position is yours to choose and the marks lie wholly in the defence.

Structure that answers it

Position stated plainly → reason 1 with evidence → reason 2 with evidence → strongest objection, met → position restated as qualified

Where marks are lost

Reasons stated and none of them evidenced. The other standard loss is fence-sitting — an answer that finds merit on both sides and commits to neither has justified nothing.

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