A tribe is a social group characterized by a common territory, shared ancestry, distinct culture, and a strong sense of collective identity. In India, tribes are officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 of the Constitution. They represent a significant segment of the country's population and are distributed across regions such as Central India, the North-East, the Himalayan belt, and parts of South India. Tribal societies exhibit considerable diversity in terms of language, economy, religion, and social organization. While many tribes have retained their traditional customs, others have experienced varying degrees of integration into mainstream society due to modernization, urbanization, industrialization, and state intervention. One of the most important characteristics of Indian tribes is their close association with a specific geographical territory. Their social, economic, and religious life is deeply connected with forests, hills, rivers, and natural resources. This territorial attachment shapes their identity and livelihood patterns. Another characteristic is the existence of a distinct language or dialect. Although many tribal groups have adopted regional languages for communication, they continue to preserve their indigenous languages, which serve as important symbols of cultural identity. Tribal societies generally possess a strong sense of kinship and community solidarity. Kinship regulates marriage, inheritance, residence, and social obligations. Many tribes are organized into clans or lineages, with rules of clan exogamy and tribal endogamy governing marital relationships. The economic life of tribes is traditionally based on hunting and gathering, shifting cultivation, settled agriculture, pastoralism, fishing, and collection of forest products. The economy is generally