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-six 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]

Tribals in Kerala - main

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Category
Source: 2008 (Tribal Survey)[2]
No. Community Population District
Particularly Vulnerable Scheduled Tribes (PVTGs)[2]
1 Kadar 1974 Thrissur, Palakkad
2 Kattunaikan 19995 Wayanad, Kozhikode Palakkad, Malappuram
3 Koraga 1644 Kasaragod
4 Kurumbar/Kurumbas 2251 Palakkad
5 Cholanaikan 409 Malappuram
Marginalised[2]
1 Adiyan 11221 Wayanad
2 Eravalan 4418 Palakkad
3 Hill Pulaya 3415 Idukki
4 Irula 26525 Palakkad
5 Malasar 4201 Palakkad
6 Malayan 5550 Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad
7 Mundugur 4668 Palakkad
8 Paniyan 92787 Wayanad, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode
Minorities[2]
1 Arandan/Aranadan 247 Malappuram
2 Wayanadankadar 673 Wayanad
3 Kudiya, Melakudi 911 Kasaragod
4 Mahamalasar 143 Palakkad
5 Palleyan/Palliyan/Paliyan 1484 Idukki
6 ThachanadanMoopan 1649 Wayanad
7 Malapanickar 982 Malappuram
8 Malampandaram 1662 Kollam, Pathanamthitta

Kerala tribals - distribution

Source: 2011 census [2]
District Scheduled Tribe population (2011) %
Kasaragod 48857 3.8
Kannur 41371 1.6
Wayanad 151443 18.5
Kozhikode 15228 0.5
Malappuram 22990 0.6
Palakkad 48972 1.7
Thrissur 9430 0.3
Ernakulam 16559 0.5
Idukki 55815 5.0
Kottayam 21972 1.1
Alappuzha 6574 0.3
Pathanamthitta 8108 0.7
Kollam 10761 0.4
Thiruvananthapuram 26759 0.8
Kerala 484839 1.5


List of Scheduled Tribes in Kerala

Kerala Public Service Commission[1] Scheduled Tribe Development Department (Government of Kerala) REPORT ON THE SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS (2013)
Adiyan Adiyan Adiyan
  • Aranda
  • Arandan
  • Aranadan
  • Aranadan
  • Arandan
  • Aranadan
  • Eravallan
  • Ervallan
  • Eravallan
  • Hill Pulaya
  • Mala Pulayan
  • Kurumba Pulayan
  • Karavazhi Pulayan
  • Pamba Pulayan
  • Hill Pulaya
  • Mala Pulayan
  • Kurumba Pulayan
  • Karavazhi Pulayan
  • Pamba Pulayan
  • Hill Pulaya
  • Mala Pulayan
  • Kurumba Pulayan
  • Karavazhi Pulayan
  • Pamba Pulaya
  • Irular
  • Irulan
  • Irular
  • Irulan
  • Irular
  • Irulan
  • Kadar
  • Wayanad Kadar
  • Kadar
  • Wayanad Kadar
  • Kadar
  • Wayanad Kadar
  • Kanikkaran
  • Kanikar
  • Kanikaran
  • Kanikkar
  • Kanikaran
  • Kanikkar
Karimpalan Karimpalan Karimpalan
Kattunayakan Kattunayakan Kattunayakan
Kochuvelan Kochuvelan Kochuvelan
Koraga Koraga Koraga
  • Kudiya
  • Melakudi
  • Kudiya
  • Melakudi
 Kudiya Melakudi
  • Kurichchan
  • Kurichiyan
  • Kurichchan
  • Kurichiyan
  • Kurichchan
  • Kurichiyan
  • Kurumans
  • Mullu Kuruman
  • Mulla Kuruman
  • Mala Kuruman
  • Kurumans
  • Mullu Kuruman
  • Kurumans
  • Mullu Kuruman
  • Kurumbas
  • Kurumbar
  • Kurumban
  • Kurumbas
  • Kurumbar
  • Kurumban
  • Kurumbas
  • Kurumbar
  • Kurumban
Mahamalasar Maha Malasar Maha Malasar
  • Malai Arayan
  • Mala Arayan
  • Malai Arayan
  • Mala Arayan
  • Malai Arayan
  • Mala Arayan
Malai Pandaran
  • Malai Pandaram
 Malai Pandaram
  • Malai Vedan
  • Mala Vedan
  • Malai Vedan
  • Malavedan
  • Malai Vedan Malavedan
Malakkuravan
  • Malakkuravan
 Malakkuravan
Malasar Malasar Malasar
  • Malayan
  • Nattu Malayan
  • Konga Malayan

Excluding the areas comprising the Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts)

  • Malayan
  • Nattu Malayan
  • Konga Malayan

Excluding the areas comprising the Kasargode, Cannanore, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts

  • Malayan
  • Nattu Malayan
  • Konga Malayan

Excluding the areas comprising the Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts

Mavilan Mavilan Mavilan
Malayarayar Malayarayar Malayarayar
Mannan (to be spelt in Malayalam script in parentheses) Mannan (to be spelt in Malayalam script in parentheses) Mannan (to be spelt in Malayalam script in parentheses)
  • Muthuvan
  • Mudugar
  • Muduvan
  • Muthuvan
  • Mudugar
  • Muduvan
 Muthuvan, Mudugar, Muduvan
  • Palleyan
  • Palliyan
  • Paliyar
  • Palliya
  • Palleyan
  • Palliyan
  • Palliyar
  • Palliyan
  • Palleyan
  • Palliyan
  • Palliyar
  • Paliyan
Paniyan Paniyan Paniyan
  • Ulladan
  • Ullatan
  • Ulladan
  • Ullatan
  • Ulladan
  • Ullatan
Uraly Uraly Uraly
Mala Vettuvan (in Kasaragod and Kannur districts) Mala Vettuvan (in Kasargode and Kannur districts) Mala Vettuvan (in Kasaragod and kannur Districts)
  • Ten Kurumban
  • Jenu Kurumban
  • Ten Kurumban
  • Jenu Kurumban
  • Ten Kurumban
  • Jenu Kurumban
  • Thachenadan
  • Thachenadan
  • Moopan
  • Thachanadan
  • Thachanadan Moopan
  • Thachanadan
  • Thachanadan Moopan
Cholanaickan Cholanaickan Cholanaickan
Malapanickar Mala Panickar Mala Panickar
Vettakuruman Vetta Kuruman Vetta Kuruman
Marati (of the Housdrug and Kasargode taluk of Kasargode district)


Scheduled Tribes list for educational concession

Source: http://www.stdd.kerala.gov.in/scheduled-tribes-kerala

  1. Allar (Aalan)
  2. Layan (Konga Malayan, Malayan, Panimalayan)
  3. ...  (in the areas of Malabar only)
  4. Malavettuvan
  5. Malamuthuvan
  6. Kunduvadiyan
  7. Pathiyan
  8. Thachanadan Mooppan
  9. Wayanad Kadar
  10. Lalanadi
  11. Chingathan
  12. Malayar
  13. Malapanicker
  14. Irivandavan

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "LIST OF SCHEDULED CASTES IN THE KERALA STATE". Kerala Public Service Commission (Gov. of Kerala).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "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).

External links

Scheduled tribes of India
Categories