# Tribals in 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. Kerala Public Service Commission, Government of Kerala, lists thirty-seven of Scheduled Tribes in Kerala. Tribals in Kerala are classified by Scheduled Tribes Development Department, Government of Kerala into three sub-sets (Particularly Vulnerable, Marginalised and Minorities).
According to the 2011 Census of India, the Scheduled Tribe population in Kerala is 484.839 (1.5 % of the total population). 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). Paniyar, Irular, Kattunaikan, Oorali and Adiyar are some of the major "communities" among Kerala tribals. 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.

## Tribals in Kerala - main

Source: 2008 (Tribal Survey) :
| No. | Community | Population | District |
| Particularly Vulnerable Scheduled Tribes (PVTGs) ||||
| 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 ||||
| 1 | Adiyan | 11221 | Wayanad |
| 2 | Eravalan | 4418 | Palakkad |
| 3 | Hill Pulaya | 3415 | Idukki |
| 4 | Irula | 26525 | Palakkad |
| 5 | Malasar Tribe | 4201 | Palakkad |
| 6 | Malayan | 5550 | Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad |
| 7 | Mundugur | 4668 | Palakkad |
| 8 | Paniyan | 92787 | Wayanad, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode |
| Minorities ||||
| 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 :
| 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

* As amended by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment Act) 1976.
* As amended by the Indian Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Second Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 61 of 2002) vide Part VIII - Kerala - Schedule I notified in the Gazette of India, dated 18 December, 2002.
* As amended by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 10 of 2003) vide Part VII - Kerala - Schedule II notified in the Gazette of India, dated 08 January, 2003.
| Kerala Public Service Commission | 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
* Allar (Aalan)
* Layan (Konga Malayan, Malayan, Panimalayan)
* ... (in the areas of Malabar only)
* Malavettuvan
* Malamuthuvan
* Kunduvadiyan
* Pathiyan
* Thachanadan Mooppan
* Wayanad Kadar
* Lalanadi
* Chingathan
* Malayar
* Malapanicker
* Irivandavan