Mainstreaming the PVTGs Community Through Financial Inclusion with a Special Reference to the Mayurbhanj District of Odisha

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) represent a small, highly depressed segment of the tribal population. These groups lead relatively isolated and peaceful lives in scattered communities. However, they lack access to adequate education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and social security. Currently, India is home to 75 such groups, spread across 18 states and one union territory. Odisha is home to 13 PVTG groups, and out of these 13 groups, two PVTG groups are found in Mayurbhanj District. Various schemes and initiatives, coordinated by developmental organisations under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, are being implemented to improve their socioeconomic conditions. Despite having so many schemes from the government, the PVTG communities are still fighting for their rights. Even today, it is not possible to extract them from the depressed class to the mainstream. This paper explores the Kharia tribal communities and their households through the lens of exclusion and alienation from formal financial systems, analyzing various demand and supply-side factors that contribute to financial exclusion. The study also investigates whether the indicators of financial inclusion, as defined by policymakers and planners, are applicable to the Kharia Tribe context. In addition, the paper examines aspects of the financial behavior of Kharia households, local dynamics, community readiness, infrastructural challenges, and issues related to service delivery on the demand side in Mayurbhanj District. Based on the findings, several recommendations are offered for promoting the financial inclusion of the Kharia Tribe. Both primary and secondary data are used to explore the Kharia Tribe. For this purpose, 100 respondents were selected to evaluate the real problems and challenges faced by the Kharia Tribe.