Intra-Tribal Disparity in the Levels of Development in Assam:

Abstract

India is home to a vast tribal population, with Assam constituting a substantial percentage of these communities. Tribal Areas across the country are vulnerable to various types of exploitation. A vast tract of geography under the state falls under the Sixth Schedule Areas, implying it holds a significant percentage of the tribal population. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution establishes autonomous administration for these tribal areas. The majority of the tribal communities in the state reside in remote rural areas and have been historically subjected to inequalities in terms of development. The research addresses this pressing issue by conducting an inter-district comparative analysis of development indicators in two districts in Assam- Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong which are predominantly inhabited by the Karbi tribe population. Statistics reveal that there lies a stark difference in their Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP), an indicator that reveals the economic development of any region. The research, thus seeks to establish the intra-tribal disparity that prevails within the tribal districts on the levels of development. The study leverages various development indices, including the Human Development Index (HDI), Infrastructure Index (II), Urbanization Index (UI), and Good Governance Index (GGI) to assess the variation. The research attempts to produce and include both qualitative and quantitative results and analyses descriptively emphasizing the development indices for the selected districts of Assam. The data for the study is collected from primary surveys through household surveys and secondary sources from the line departments. Further, to understand the levels of disparity within the tribe, the composite development index is calculated, considering the socio-economic variables. The findings would suggest sectoral recommendations in the Tribal Development Plans and Sub Plans, and develop an evidence-based governance model for Tribal Areas through Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which would help address the developmental disparities prevailing within the tribal districts of Assam. Keywords: Tribal population, Intra-tribal disparity, Development Indices, Inter-district Analysis, Actor-Network Theory