India's Tribal Populations

This research project seeks to analyze the causal factors driving the growth of the Maoist insurgency in India since 1990. The core support base of the insurgency has been India’s tribal population (“Scheduled Tribes”). This study is an empirical analysis based on micro-data on the spatial location of each incident of Maoist-related violence, the socio-economic profile of that area, and agro-climatic variables of the region. Nearly three years were spent in developing a database of all Maoist incidents. The econometric analysis finds that changes in vegetation cover are negatively and causally related to the intensity of violence. The first research paper was published in January 2013. CASI is currently working on a second paper examining the impact of income-support government programs on the intensity of violence.