UPSC CSE Pre 2021

Linguistic Diversity and Tribal Culture

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, ho and Kui' pertain to:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept India's linguistic diversity includes hundreds of tribal languages belonging to different language families like Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, and Austroasiatic, reflecting the country's pluralistic cultural heritage.

Explanation Linguistic surveys of India categorize Halbi as Indo-Aryan, Ho as Austroasiatic (Munda), and Kui as a Dravidian language spoken by tribal communities in Central and Eastern India.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Halbi (Bastari) is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language used for trade and oral communication by tribes in Bastar and parts of Odisha.
Logic 2: Ho is an Austroasiatic language spoken mainly in Jharkhand and Odisha, utilizing the 'Warang Chiti' script.
Logic 3: Kui is a South-Eastern Dravidian language spoken by the Kandha/Khond tribe in the hilly regions of Odisha.

Active Recall

Question

Why is the preservation of tribal languages like Kui and Ho critical?

Answer

These languages carry the traditional knowledge, folklore, and unique ecological wisdom of tribal communities that are not recorded in mainstream scripts.

Core Insight

Questions on tribal terminology often appear in UPSC to test familiarity with the social fabric of states like Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.