Tribals in Kerala

A tribal school in Nilambur (north Kerala)

Tribals in Kerala (known in Malayalam as the Adivasi) are the tribal population found in the Indian state of Kerala. Most of the tribals of Kerala live in the forests and mountains of Western Ghats, bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Tribals in Kerala are officially designated as "Scheduled Tribes" for affirmative action purposes.[1] Kerala Public Service Commission, Government of Kerala, lists thirty-seven of Scheduled Tribes in Kerala.[1] Tribals in Kerala are classified by Scheduled Tribes Development Department, Government of Kerala into three sub-sets (Particularly Vulnerable, Marginalised and Minorities).[2]

According to the 2011 Census of India, the Scheduled Tribe population in Kerala is 484.839 (1.5 % of the total population).[2] Wayanad district has the highest number of tribals (1,51,443) in Kerala, followed by Idukki (55,815), Palakkad (48,972) and Kasaragod (48,857) and Kannur districts (41,371).[2] Paniyar, Irular, Kattunaikan, Oorali and Adiyar are some of the major "communities" among Kerala tribals.[2] A. K. Balan, Member of the Legislative Assembly from Tarur, is the current Kerala Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes.[3]

  1. ^ a b "LIST OF SCHEDULED CASTES IN THE KERALA STATE". Kerala Public Service Commission (Gov. of Kerala).
  2. ^ a b c d "Schedule Tribes: Population, Socio-Economic Conditions and Development Expenditure" (PDF). Kerala Economy (Thiruvananthapuram Economic Studies Society (TESS)). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2020.
  3. ^ "A. K. Balan". Government of Kerala (A. K. Balan).