DNA study links Rajasthan population to Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat

Professor Gyaneshwar Chaubey, a geneticist at Banaras Hindu University, has presented findings indicating that the genetic makeup of Rajasthan's population is most closely linked to the populations of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Presented during an international seminar titled ‘Rajasthan: Antiquity and Transformation’ in Varanasi, the research utilized genome-wide analysis of various castes and tribes, including the Meena and Gujjar communities. These findings challenge a 2005 study by French scientist Lluis Quintana-Murci, which had suggested a closer genetic affinity between the populations of Rajasthan and present-day Pakistan based on mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomes.

Chaubey’s long-term study suggests that the genetic profile of Rajasthan shows its strongest affinity with the central-western region of the Indian subcontinent rather than the northwestern frontier.