The 1981 Census enumerated 51.63 million persons as belonging to the scheduled tribes (ST), constituting 7.76 percent of the total population of India excluding Assam where the Census could not be held owing to the disturbed conditions prevailing in the state at the time of the 1981 Census. According to the 1991 Census, the STs account for 67.76 million or 8.08 percent of the country's total population. The STs have shown a decadal growth rate of 3.12 percent during the period 1981-1991. The highest concentration of Sts in India is in the northeastern states of Mizoram (94.75 percent), Nagaland (87.75 percent) Megalaya (85.53 percent) and Arunachal Pradesh (63.66 percent) and in the Union Territories of Lakshadweep (93.15 percent) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (78.99 percent). Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Gujrat, Mahrasthtra and Bihar have a large St population.

The ST communities living in different regions of India can be divided into the following territorial groups, taking their historical, ethnic and socio-cultural attributes.

1. North East India comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

2. Sub-Himalayan region of north and north -western India comprising the northern submontane districts of U.P., Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

3. Central and east India comprising West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

4. South India comprising Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

5. Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

As a group, even today, the STs are socially, politically and economically disadvantaged and are lagging behind the general population of the country in terms of their literacy, health and economic status. Crimes against STs are still rampant and they have a token representation in the political decision-making institutions of the country in spite of the guarantees enshrined for them in the Constitution of India and the proclaimed policy of the government of according high priority to their welfare and development since the inception of planning in the country in 1951. The Constitutional Guarntees for the Sts in India which are summarized below show that on paper at least, the STs in India which are summarized below show that on paper at least, the STs are given a special treatment in the country. Yet, as data show, there is a market gap between the socio-economic situation of the STs of India and the general population of the country as a whole.

However, it has to be remembered that not all scheduled tribes are socio-politically and economically disadvantaged as compared to the general population of the country. Indeed, some of the designated scheduled tribes are economically so advanced that had it not been politically inexpedient to do so, they would have been denotified as scheduled tribes. Similarly, not all scheduled tribes are educationally backward. In Mizoram, a north-eastern state where the bulk of the population belongs so the scheduled tribes, the literacy rate is the highest in India. Yet, when all scheduled tribes are grouped together, it can be established beyond doubt that they form a part of the disadvantaged group in the country who have a long way to go if they have to be brought up to the level of the general population in terms of their social, political and economic status.

Constitutional Guarantees for STs in India

Social

1. Equality before law (Article 14).

2.Special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class including STs (Article 14(4) 0.

3. Appointment of Commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes including STs (Article 340).

4. Specification of tribal communities deemed to be STs (Article 342).

Economic

1. Promotion of the educational and economic interests of STs and ensuring their protection from any social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46).

2. Provision of special financial assistance from the Consolidated Fund of India Grant-in-aid for promoting the welfare of STs and the development of scheduled areas (Article 275 (1)).

3. Ensuring the claims of STs to appointment in services (Article 335).

Political

1. Administration and control of scheduled areas and STs in any state (Articles 244 and 339).

2. Reservation of seats for STs in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies (Article 330 and 332).

The Current Socio-Political and Economic Situation of STs

1. Literacy rates and educational status of STs Though the literacy rates of the STs has increased during the last three development decades, the gap between the literacy rates of the STs and the general population still persists. The gap between literacy rates of the general population still persists. The gap between the literacy rates of the general population and the STs is actually widening decade after decade. However, intra and inter state and intra and inter community variations in literacy rates exist among the STs of India.