APPENDIX S(D)-- REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Five-Year Plan The Five-Year Plan of the Department was drawn up in the light of the developments in Science which can be grouped under the heads: Physical, Biological and Cultural.
A. PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Under Physical Anthropology investigations are being carried out in Somatology, Craniometry and Osteometry.
Many human remains discovered by Archaeologists at Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Taxilla, Ujjain and prehistoric sites in Central and Southern India, are being studied by the Department of Anthropology.
Radiological examinations of living people are being carried out in order to determine the age at which the bones attain final mature form or other difference in their maturation. On the applied side such a study will furnish data for the maturation of bones to be used for medico-legal purposes in the determination of acre.
In order to make dietary improvement among different sections of the Indian people, investigations are being carried out among certain groups of children and tribal people.
B BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION Biological investigations are being carried out in the rate and pattern of growth in different people in the metabolic behaviour of the people due to differences in protein intake, differences in vital capacity, differential rates of fertility, serology, hereditary defectiveness and anomalies, effects of in-breeding, hereditary basis of criminal propensities, hereditary characters of palmer pattern and other tests in dactytoscopy for detection of criminals etc.
Laboratories.-Different laboratories of the Department, viz., comparative Morphology, Anatomy, X-rays, Bio-chemistry, Comparative Philology, Psychology, Biology and Bio-chemistry have been set up, and more scientific instruments are being added to keep them up-to-date.
Training Scheme.-In addition to the research work, the Department has a scheme for giving advanced training to postgraduate students. About eight postgraduate students are attached to the various sections of the Department for advanced study in different branches of Anthropology. The training extends over a period of two years. Theoretical and practical training, apart from field training, is given to the trainees with a view to furnish them with first class research training in Anthropology and knowledge of habits and life of the tribal people.
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Foreign Fellows.-In order to ensure collaboration with Anthro- pologists eager to work in India, a visiting Fellowship tenable for two years is offered to a foreign scholar once in two years, for research in India. This not only benefits the Fellow but also the Department by making available the latest experience of world scholarship.
Ethnographical Gallery.-Ethnographical specimens of different tribes are being collected by the members of the Department for the Ethnographical Gallery of the Indian Museum and also for the National Museum at Delhi which forms a part of the Museum and is open to the Public.
A guide-book and a catalogue of the specimens are under prepa- ration. The gallery is replenished with latest specimens from time to time.
Library.-The Department has an up-to-date library with about 18,000 volumes. It contains a collection of rare valuable books.
C. SUB-STATION AT PORT BLAIR The establishment and organisation of a Sub-Station of the Department at Port Blair in Andaman Islands during 1952-53, was referred to in the last report. This Sub-Station has been created particularly with a view to establishing friendly contact with the hostile tribes of the Andamans and to study the fast disappearing Andamanese. These tribes, particularly the Jarawas, the Onges of Little Andamans and the Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island could not be won over during a period of over 100 years of British rule. The officers of this Department have been able to contact the Onges of Little Andaman in the course of several trips made to the Island and for the first time, interior tribes were contacted and the Island was traversed from one end to the other.
Assam Sub-Station.-It is hoped that a second Sub-Station of the Department will be opened very shortly in Assam to carry on and implement in a systematic manner investigations on the frontier tribes of Assam of whom very little authentic information is available.
1. A brief summary of the scientific research.-For the formula- tion of a policy towards the primitive tribes and their proper place in the constitution of the country, a comprehensive report was pre- pared on their cultural and racial affinities and problems affecting their administration in the light of experience of tribal population in different parts of the world and submitted to the Government.
2. In Jaunswar-Bowar in the eastern Simla Hills where polyandry is still actively practised, field investigations were undertaken and a survey was made of the greater part of lower Jaunswar-Bowar extending from Chakrata to Lakhwar and parts of Bowar and a large mass of material on the physical and social characteristics of the people was collected. The survey also included studies of their language with records of the phonetics and wire recordings of their music. In addition, a large number of psychological tests, both Projective and Performance, have been made on these people.
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3. An investigation among the hill tribes in the interior of Orissa, such as the Hill Saoras was carried out and important data not hitherto known was collected.
4. A survey of the surviving Andamanese and the Nicobarese tribes was undertaken at the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Visits were paid to the settlements of the Andamanese in the North Andamans, the Jarawas tract and among the Onges of the Little Andaman. Officers have been able to collect much interesting data on their social structure and language including wire recordings of their music and phonetics and many interesting ethnographical specimens from those Islands.
5. A systematic survey is being carried out among the Abor tribes of the North Eastern Frontiers of Assam at the request of the Governor of Assam and an intensive study of the Abor life and habits has been undertaken. A field party visited the last frontier out-posts on the Tibetan border not visited by Indian officers before. An investigation was also carried out in the Upper Dihong valley and data was collected on the physical character, blood group distribution, social and religious institutions of the tribe. Psychological tests, both Projective and Performance, were applied for assessing the mental aptitudes of the people. In addition, a complete record of Abor speech, music and dances by means of sound recording apparatus and cinematographic films was made. An attempt has also been made to study the diet and food habits of the people to determine the nutritional value of the food used by them. It may be stated in this connection that the Government- of Assam have given very serious consideration to these researches which are being utilised by them for the administration and welfare of the independent tribal folks.
6. The survey of the community life in two centres in Southern Bengal, namely the rural area at Diamond Harbour and an Industrial centre in the Budge Budge area, West Bengal, in connection with the Unesco project of Pilot Studies on Community Life in India, Australia, Sweden and France has been carried out.
7. Prof. Gardner Murphy the Unesco Consultant to the Govern- ment of India, had entrusted this Department with the study of the scientific background and effects of tension among the refugees now settled in West Bengal. In this connection an investigation was carried out among the refugees who are rehabilitated at Jirat and Azadgarh, West Bengal, and the reports were submitted to Prof. Gardner Murphy and to the Government.
8. Anthropological survey has also been undertaken among the hill tribes of Travancore and Cochin and particularly among the Kanikkara, Uralis, Malapandarams, Kuravans, Muthuvans and Paliyans. Apart from the collection of somatometric data, the field investigators were also able to collect data on their intelligence level and psychological trends and blood groups.
9. Serological investigations particularly ABO, MN and Rh of blood groups and secretor factor and taster ability (PTC) were carried out among various castes and tribes of India and the, Andaman Islands.
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10. Several original papers of different branches of Anthropology, particularly on serology, somatometry and tribal psychology etc. were published in different scientific journals and were read before the Indian Science Congress.
11. The Departmental Bulietin containing many interesting scientific articles has been published, and manuscripts of the Second Bulletin are ready for Press.
12. It has been one of the plans of the Department to undertake systematic researches in various parts of the country, specially in places which may be regarded as strategic from the point of view of Anthropology.
13. Commencement of the systematic survey of the Naga tribes, specially of the frontier tracts, among whom great deal of propaganda not favourable to the Indian Republic, was carried out in the past, is being taken up with the concurrence of the Assam Government.
14. A great deal of progress in the restoration of prehistoric skulls was made in the prehistoric skeletal remains from the Indus valley and other ancient sites of India.
15. Identification of the different parts of the skeletal remains, both human and animal, particularly of Ujjain, Harappa and Sanur at Madras, are in progress.
16. At present Anthropological investigations are being carried out among the Abors of Assam, the Kanikkars of Travancore and among the Onges of Little Andaman. Psychological investigation is being carried out among a certain group of people of Jaunpur, U.P.
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