Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:

1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.

2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.

3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 4.

Let us analyze each statement to determine its correctness:

Statement 1: PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
This statement is correct. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are spread across 18 states and 1 Union Territory (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) in India.

Statement 2: A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
This statement is correct. The Ministry of Home Affairs uses specific criteria to identify PVTGs, which include:
1. Pre-agricultural level of technology
2. Low level of literacy
3. Economic backwardness
4. A stagnant or declining population

Statement 3: There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
This statement is incorrect. Currently, there are 75 officially identified PVTGs in India (categorized out of 705 Scheduled Tribes), not 95.

Statement 4: Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
This statement is correct. Both the Irular tribe (found predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and the Konda Reddi tribe (found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) are included in the official list of PVTGs in India.

Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct, making 1, 2 and 4 the correct option combination.