The well-known phenomenon of tribal disadvantage in India requires constant monitoring to ensure diligent attention to equitable protection of tribal people’s right to life. This article, based on an analysis of primary data collected from 400 households in eight different tribal communities in Odisha, charts the differential progress of Odisha tribals by establishing a Tribal Development Index. Such data identify significant development disparities and confirm the existence of a ‘creamy layer’, constituted of more developed individuals and families also among India’s tribals. While many households in these eight communities still lack basic amenities, notable differences regarding food security, landholding, income and overall development were identified, supporting arguments for devising more sophisticated differential forms of intervention.
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