Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India 2013

Between Census 2001 and Census 2011, the sex ratio among the Scheduled Tribes changed from 978 females per 1,000 males to 990 females per 1,000 males.

According to the 2011 Census, 90 districts in the country had an ST population of 50 per cent or more. Of these districts, 48 were in the northeastern states. In Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland, ST communities constituted more than 60 per cent of the population in all districts.

The increase in the literacy rate (percentage of literates in the population above seven) of STs between 2001 and 2011 was 11.86 per cent, while the increase in the literacy rate of the total population was 8.15 per cent in the same period. However, since the 1962 Census, the total literacy rate of STs has always been lower than that of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the total population.

In 2001, 59.17 per cent of ST men were literate compared to just 34.76 per cent of ST women. In 2011, this increased to 88.53 per cent of literate men and 49.35 per cent of literate women in ST communities.

According to the 2011 Census, Mizoram and Lakshadweep had the highest literacy rate among STs (91.5 per cent and 91.7 per cent, respectively), while the lowest ST literacy rate was in Andhra Pradesh (49.2 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (50.6 per cent).

In 2010, in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, more than 40 per cent of ST students scored 60 per cent or more in the higher secondary examination.

Children from ST communities have the poorest nutritional status. The high prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) in this group, the report says, is of particular concern.

According to the National Family Health Survey 3 (NFHS-3; 2005-06), 76.8 per cent of ST children were anaemic. Of these children, 26.3 per cent were mildly anaemic, 47.2 per cent were moderately anaemic and over 3.3 per cent were severely anaemic.

While the shortfall of nursing staff at primary and community healthcare centres in tribal areas has lessened, it is still an issue, the report says. Odisha tops the list of states with a shortfall of nursing staff (1,041 instead of the required 1,348), followed by Chhattisgarh (711 instead of 991), West Bengal (584 instead of 830) and Madhya Pradesh (519 instead of 1,056).

Among non-literate males in rural areas, the unemployment rate (number of persons employed per 1,000 of the labour force) was 0.1 per cent among STs, 0.3 per cent among SCs, 0.5 per cent among the Other Backward Classes, and 0.6 per cent among other social groups. Among non-literate females in rural areas, unemployment was not observed across different social groups.

The highest number of ST households with bank accounts are in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (92.33 per cent) and the lowest are in Manipur (24.84 per cent).

According to the (then) Planning Commission, in 2004-05, 47.3 per cent of STs in rural areas across India were below the poverty line as compared to 33.3 per cent of STs in urban areas.

NFHS-3 shows that around 38.2 percent of ST women had money that they could decide how to use, while only 9 per cent had a bank or savings account that they themselves used.

The highest conviction rate for crimes against Scheduled Tribes was in Madhya Pradesh (39 per cent), followed by Chhattisgarh (35.5 per cent) and Jharkhand (34.2 per cent).

 Focus and Factoids by Imsutula Jamir