Tribals constitute 8.14% of the total population of the country, numbering 84.51 million (2001 Census). They live in approx. 15% of the country’s area, in various ecological and geo-climatical conditions ranging from plains, forests, hills and inaccessible areas.

There are 697 tribes notified by the Central Government under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution with certain tribes being notified in more than one State. More than half of the Scheduled Tribe population is concentrated in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and Gujarat whereas in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh no community has been notified as a Scheduled Tribe.

Criteria for identifying a community as a scheduled tribe is as follows:

1) Indication of primitive traits
2) Distinctive culture
3) Geographical isolation
4) Shyness of contact with the community at large
5) Backwardness

Some tribal communities have adopted a mainstream way of life at one end of the spectrum, whereas at the other end there are 75 Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), who are characterised by :

1) A pre-agriculture level of technology
2) A stagnant or declining population
3) An extremely low literacy rate
4) A subsistence level of economy

Tribal groups are at different stages of social, economical and educational development. The tribal population has shown a growth rate of 21.03% as against 21.35% of the entire population, in the period 1991-2001. The fact that tribals need special attention is borne by their low social, economic and participatory indicators. Whether it is maternal and child mortality, size of agricultural holdings or access to drinking water and electricity, tribal communities lag far behind the general population. While their percentage, that is Below the Poverty Line, is unacceptably high (52%), what is staggering is that a full 54% have no access to economic assets related to communication and transport.