Tribal districts moving up and down on development ladder, finds new study

A study by the DST-Centre for Policy Research of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) has revealed that seven tribal-dominated districts continue to face underdevelopment with illiteracy, lack of road connectivity, and irrigation coverage being critical deficits.

- HEMANT KUMAR ROUT @ Bhubaneswar

Among districts, Koraput, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Malkangiri, and Mayurbhanj were found to be the least developed, the only exception being Sundargarh, which was in the developing category. In contrast, six coastal districts of Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Cuttack, Khurda, Kendrapara, and Bhadrak have consistently been in the developed category during the 1994-2021 period, the study said.

Odisha is home to 62 tribal groups—13 of which are designated as PVTGs—representing nearly 23 per cent (pc) of the state's population. The latest multi-dimensional poverty estimates show that 65 million of the 104 million indigenous people in the country are multi-dimensionally poor.