Our Mission:"freedom from exploitation and poverty"
 
A.K.Balan
 
  Minister for Welfare of Backward Classes and Scheduled Communities
   
   
District wise Population of Scheduled Tribes as on 2001
Sl No District General Scheduled Tribe District ST population as % of State's ST population
Total Male Female Total Male Female
1 Thiruvananthapuram 3,234,356 1,569,917 1,664,439 20,893 9,890 11,003 0.65
2 Kollam 2,585,208 1,249,621 1,335,587 5,190 2,447 2,743 0.20
3 Pathanamthitta 1,234,016 589,398 644,618 6,549 3,184 3,365 0.53
4 Alapuzha 2,109,160 1,014,529 1,094,631 3,131 1,565 1,566 0.15
5 Kottayam 1,953,646 964,926 988,720 18,340 8,972 9,368 0.94
6 Idukky 1,129,221 566,682 562,539 50,973 25,510 25,463 4.51
7 Ernakulam 3,105,798 1,538,397 1,567,401 10,046 5,079 4,967 0.32
8 Thrissur 2,974,232 1,422,052 1,552,180 4,826 2,293 2,533 0.16
9 Palakkad 2,617,482 1,266,985 1,350,497 39,665 19,990 19,675 1.52
10 Malappuram 3,625,471 1,754,576 1,870,895 12,267 5,996 6,271 0.34
11 Kozhikode 2,879,131 1,399,358 1,479,773 5,940 2,924 3,016 0.21
12 Wayanad 780,619 391,273 389,346 136,062 67,394 68,668 17.43
13 Kannur 2,408,956 1,152,817 1,256,139 19,969 9,793 10,176 0.83
14 Kasaragod 1,204,078 588,083 615,995 30,338 15,132 15,206 2.52
  STATE TOTAL 31,841,374 15,468,614 16,372,760 364,189 180,169 184,020 1.14
   
   In the 1991 Census the population of Scheduled Tribes was 3,20,967 which constitute 1.10% of the total population in the State. This is expected to reach at least Rs. 4.03 lakh by the end of 2001. They belongs to 35 district communities including the primitive tribal groups such as Cholanaikans, Kattunaikans, Krumbas, Kadars and Koragas and they constitute nearly 4.8% of the Scheduled Tribe population. There are 69,444 ST households in the State while in 1981 it was only 52,421. The present number of ST households is estimated as around 84000. The decadal growth rate of the ST population in 1981-91 is 22.75% while in general population is only 14.75%. The growth rate in number of households in general population show an increase of 24.64% while in Tribals, it was 32.47%. The sex ratio of scheduled tribes in the state was 996. The Scheduled Tribes population is even more unevenly distributed in the districts. Wayanad has the highest tribal concentration in the State, which is nearly 36% of the tribal population. Idukky and Palakkad account for another 26%. The lowest Tribal population in the State is in Alappuzha District

   Majority of the tribal families below poverty line is seen in the Wayanad, Idukky and Palakkad Districts. Adiya, Paniya and Kattunaikan are the three tribal communities in Wayanad District who are still in a very underdeveloped stage compared to other tribal communities there. Adiya and Paniya together from 53% of the tribal population in Wayanadu. [The ST population of Wayanad District was 1.11 lakh in 1991 Census] Kurichya and Kuruma are the other two major tribal communities of Wayanad have attained a satisfactory level of socio-economic advancement compared with these two communities. The pity of the adiya and paniya is that they were all landless agricultural labourers and slaves,till two decades ago and their full rehabilitation programmes are still underway. Kattunaikan families are primitive tribes and they have shown potential signs of quicker transition to the mainstream of development. Unlike the Kattunaikans, the Adiya and Paniya are found less sensitive to the tribal development programmes especially in the field of education

   The Attappady Block of Palakkad District is the only tribal block in the State, [one of the seven ITDPs in the State] where all kinds of tribal problems usually crop up. The tribal population of the District is 35,465 [1991 Census] Kurumbas, Mudugas, Kadars and Irulas are the four major tribal communities in the district. Kurumbas and Kadars are Primitive Tribes.
   Muthuvan, Urali, Hill Pulaya, Mannan & Ulladan, Malayaraya are the communities in Idukky. Among them Malayaraya are forward in all aspects compared to others. Around 92% of the tribal workers in the district are still in engaged in the agricultural and allied sectors.
   There are 5 primitive tribal groups viz. Kattunaikan, Cholanaikan, Kurumpas, Kadars & Koragas. According to a survey conducted by the ST Development Dept, their population was 16,678 during 1996-97. Their literacy rate was only 26.10%
DISTRICT-WISE POPULATION OF SCHEDULED TRIBES IN KERALA
(1991 CENSUS)
Sl.No. Name of District Male Female Total District ST population as % of State's ST population
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Thiruvananthapuram 7860 8321 16181 5.04%
2. Kollam 1943 1941 3884 1.21%
3. Pathanamthitta 3459 3463 6922 2.16%
4 Alapuzha 1407 1394 2801 0.87%
5 Kottayam 8902 9094 17996 5.61%
6 Idukky 25512 24757 50269 15.66%
7 Ernakulam 2551 2390 4941 1.54%
8. Thrissur 1990 2061 4051 1.26%
9. Palakkad 17927 17538 35465 11.05%
10. Malappuram 5213 5342 10555 3.29%
11. Kozhikode 2654 2753 5407 1.68%
12. Wayanad 57386 57583 114969 35.82%
13. Kannur 9167 9076 18243 5.68%
14. Kasaragod 14841 14442 29283 9.12%
  STATE TOTAL 160812 160155 320967 100.00%