Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the government successes and failures in programs, those are changing Bharias, vulnerable tribe in Madhya Pradesh. Study concludes that partial success of government lies in looking conservation and development as two separate spheres, but conservation is part of development.

Paper long abstract:

The question of development of 'Primitive tribal groups' (PTG) or particularly vulnerable tribal group have posed a serious challenge to government. After pushing hard the idea of economic development in the name of progress and failing to get the desired results, the government initiated a new approach called conservation and development since 2007 to bring about overall development in these communities. Conservation and Development the key words which guide the new approach apparently appears to share an uneasy relationship. As a part of this policy a special five years program called conservation and development (CCD ) plan has been initiated in the PTG.s since 2008 comprising six components, viz., education, health, livelihood, agriculture, irrigation, housing and conservation of culture and traditional knowledge. This paper examines the impact of this program on a PTG community called the Bharias of Madhya Pradesh. Bharias whose total population is less than three thousand, live in a place called Patalkot at a depth of 1600 m in the Chindwarra district of the state. The enclosed environment and self sufficient life style (with all their needs being met from their immediate environment), gave rise to a unique social organization and way of living, very different from the outside world. It created a hiatus between the world view of the Bharias and the outsiders. The administrative efforts jumpstarted a civilization, very different in its ethos and contents, on the path of economic growth and development so as to enable it to integrate with the outside world.