The tribe-wise population of Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as per Census 2011 is given below: -

Based on information received from the Directorate of Tribal Welfare, Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Administration, Nicobarese follow Islam and Christianity.   

The A&N Administration has opened various channels of communication with the Jarawas so as to ascertain their present concerns as well as their future needs within the framework of Government of India’s Policy. This has yielded promising results in terms of the communities’ greater confidence in sharing information relating to poaching, encroachment and other forms of abuse they have had to face.    

With regard to Sentinelese tribes, the A&N Administration has adopted an ‘eyes-on and hands-off’ policy to ensure that no poachers enter into the island. A protocol of Circumnavigation of the North Sentinel Island has been made and notified in consultation with Government of India, which have yielded meaningful results.

Exclusive medical wards in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) located near the Jarawa Reserve at Tushnabad, Kadamtala and GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair have been set up for treatment of Jarawas.  Such wards are also declared as Tribal Reserve under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956 to prevent any interaction of the unauthorised non-tribals with the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).  Medical Sub Centres have been established by the A&N Administration at Dugong Creek in Little Andaman & Strait Island for providing health care facilities to the Onges & Andamanese tribes.  Health card of each individual of PVTGs is maintained by Tribal Welfare Officers of Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samitie (AAJVS)/Medical Sub Centres and are regularly updated. 

 The expertise available with the Central Government Institutions like Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy(AYUSH) & GB Pant Hospital is utilized for the wellbeing of the PVTGs from time to time.  Nutritional supplements are being provided to the pregnant women, lactating mothers and infants belonging to Onge&Andamanse tribes through AAJVS.  Currently Shompen/ Nicobari/ Onges patients are airlifted to Port Blair for treatment in case of emergency from Campbell Bay & Dugong Creek by the A&N Administration through the existing fleet of Helicopters. 

The A&N Administration through AAJVS extends all financial support to the tribal students of Onge&Andamanese communities for their education at the primary, middle and higher secondary levels. Exclusive Middle level schools have been established in the tribal settlements for Onges at Dugong Creek, Little Andaman and for Andamanese at Strait Islands. Informal education system has been introduced amongst the Jarawas and Onges children through bilingual bicultural curriculum developed by Andaman and Nicobar Tribal Research Institute (ANTRI) and AAJVS.

            This information was given by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today. 

Samir/jk