BHUBANESWAR: 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.
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.
According to the study, which considered 11 development indicators, Keonjhar, Boudh, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Kalahandi moved upward in their development rankings between 1994 and 2021 while seven comprising Jajpur, Nayagarh, Balasore, Bargarh, Angul, Malkangiri and Koraput made a downward shift.
Balasore and Bargarh moved from developing category to the less and least developed groups whereas Nuapada and Sambalpur progressed from the least and less developed to the developing category. Nuapada and Keonjhar demonstrated significant gains while Bargarh and Jajpur witnessed a relative decline in developmental ranking.
The study found that districts with higher indigenous populations consistently exhibited higher poverty and illiteracy levels. Malkangiri, where 58 pc of the population is indigenous, had a poverty head count ratio of 45 pc in 2019-21, compared to only 3.29 pc in Puri with only 0.4 pc indigenous population.
Coordinator of DST-Centre for Policy Research and associate professor of NISER Amarendra Das said the disparities are not solely the result of contemporary policy shortcomings, rather, they are deeply embedded in historical structures of inequality, rooted in colonial land tenure systems, extractive governance regimes and longstanding institutional neglect.
“Persistent infrastructural deficits, slow agricultural modernisation and high levels of out-migration, particularly from indigenous regions are also responsible. The government must prioritise tribe-specific and regionally tailored strategies and focus on investments in basic services like healthcare, education, drinking water, irrigation and all-weather connectivity, which are essential to disrupt the cycle of chronic underdevelopment,” he suggested.