List of Scheduled Tribes in West Bengal

Scheduled Tribes (also known as "tribals" or "adibasi/adivasi") are specific indigenous peoples whose status is acknowledged to some formal degree by national legislation. Scheduled tribes of the Indian state of West Bengal, as recognized by the Constitution of the Indian Republic; a total of 40 distinct tribes. Among those 40 tribes 3 tribes are "Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups" (PTGs). ^{[1] [2]}

Overview

As per 2001 census scheduled tribes numbering 4,406,794 persons constituted 5.5 per cent of the total population of the state. Santals constitute more than half (51.8 per cent) of the total ST population of the state. Oraons (14 per cent), Mundas (7.8 per cent), Bhumij (7.6 per cent) and Kora (3.2 per cent) are the other major STs having sizeable population. Along with Santal, they constitute nearly 85 per cent of the state's total ST population. The Lodhas, Mahalis, Bhutias, Bedias, and Savars are the remaining STs, and having population of one per cent or more as per 2001 census report. ^[3]

District wise Scheduled Tribes demographic map of West Bengal

More than half of the total ST population of the state is concentrated in Medinipur, Jalpaiguri, Purulia, and Bardhaman districts. Of the remaining districts, Bankura, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, and Dakshin Dinajpur have sizable ST population. ^[3]

List of tribes

As per the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, the following were listed as scheduled tribes in West Bengal. ^[4]

1. Asur
2. Baiga
3. Badia, Bediya
4. Bhumij
5. Bhutia, Sherpa, Toto, Dukpa, Kagatay, Tibetan, Yolmo
6. Birhor
7. Birjia
8. Chakma
9. Chero
10. Chik Baraik
11. Garo
12. Gond
13. Gorait
14. Hajang
15. Ho
16. Karmali
17. Kharwar
18. Khond
19. Kisan
20. Kora
21. Korwa
22. Lepcha
23. Limbu(Subba)
24. Lodha, Kheria, Kharia
25. Lohara, Lohra
26. Magh
27. Mahali
28. Mahli
29. Mal Pahariya
30. Mech
31. Mru
32. Munda
33. Nagesia
34. Oraon
35. Parhaiya
36. Rabha
37. Santal
38. Sauria paharia
39. Subba/Limbu
40. Tamang

Demographics

Scheduled Tribe	Historical Population					Demographics based on latest census
						Latest Population (2011)	Sex ratio	Literacy (%)			Main worker	Marginal worker
	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001			Total	Male	Female
Asur	—	611	4,286	3,864	4,050	4,864	1,024	45.1	55.2	35	73	27
Baiga	4	—	1,606	7,624	11,681	13,423	984	61.4	72.8	50	51.9	48.1
Bedia, Bediya	1,191	3,339	29,396	44,875	55,979	88,772	973	63.5	72.5	54.2	61.2	38.8
Bhumij	91,289	169,426	233,906	291,808	336,436	376,296	980	59.5	70.7	48.1	49.8	50.2
Bhutia, Sherpa, Toto, Ukpa, Kagatay, Tibetan, Yolmo	23,595	33,912	40,192	48,196	60,091	66,627	1,002	81.1	86.7	75.5	73.7	26.3
Birhor	100	—	658	855	1,017	2,241	906	58.2	69.3	46.1	63.9	36.1
Birjia	—	16	913	1,238	1,654	1,123	960	48.4	60	36.2	64.3	35.7
Chakma	1,379	2,927	141	320	642	466	966	76.8	83.8	69.5	84.4	15.6
Chero	559	175	1,648	2,283	1,968	5,477	1,034	62.7	73.2	52.5	75.6	24.4
Chik Baraik	—	1,627	12,624	16,030	17,824	21,376	1,014	62.6	74	51.2	72.4	27.6
Garo	2,535	2,627	3,206	3,673	1,915	2,039	1,045	77.8	81.8	73.9	64.5	35.5
Gond	735	46	4,923	5,966	9,826	13,535	900	74.8	82.9	65.9	77.8	22.2
Gorait	425	481	2,191	3,024	1,436	2,498	990	32	41.2	22.6	51.2	48.8
Hajong	426	244	1,081	1,527	597	621	882	74.4	85.3	61.9	82.8	17.2
Ho	1,075	1,036	3,202	11,640	15,540	23,483	992	54.3	65.2	43.2	57.4	42.6
Karmali	1,023	94	1,418	7,101	1,317	2,466	974	67.9	79.6	55.9	63.8	36.2
Kharwar	1,142	134	11,726	20,514	17,625	20,270	942	64.5	73.8	54.7	65.2	34.8
Khond	41	—	639	829	226	660	953	59.I	67.2	50.7	85.3	14.7
Kisan	3	716	5,370	5,827	4,788	98,434	934	53.4	62.4	43.9	58.8	41.2
Kora	62,029	93,586	96,835	113,564	142,789	159,404	1,000	56.5	68	45.1	54.8	45.2
Korwa	2,891	3,222	2,493	4,948	5,371	2,912	1,012	53.9	62.8	45.3	74.3	25.7
Lepcha	15,309	14,568	23,408	27,888	32,377	33,962	981	82.4	86.8	77.9	59.5	40.5
Lodha, Kharia, Kharia	40,898	45,906	53,718	68,095	84,966	108,707	988	45.5	54.6	36.2	55.2	44.8
Lohara, Lohra	3,031	2,388	23,799	29,750	20,683	24,783	997	55.3	65.4	45.2	68.5	31.5
Magh	790	3,257	1,020	4,332	8,214	8,032	989	88.3	91.6	85.1	87.8	12.2
Mahali	28,233	47,247	50,288	69,542	76,102	81,594	1,003	55	66.3	43.6	63.5	36.5
Mahli	5,075	998	10,827	19,075	1,831	2,609	963	50.7	59.8	41.3	53.9	46.1
Mal Pahariya	15,706	31,018	17,020	34,302	37,440	44,538	992	42.8	49	36.5	74.1	25.9
Mech	13,915	10,862	26,959	29,904	35,996	41,242	978	74.2	80.8	67.6	67.5	32.5
Mru	1,477	836	1,231	1,546	271	197	1,074	61.7	70.2	53	62.5	37.5
Munda	160,245	198,701	230,016	289,091	341,542	366,386	990	57.7	67.1	48.3	62.8	37.2
Nagesia	4,875	2,516	42,521	10,069	8,373	16,378	987	61.8	70.1	53.5	72.8	27.2
Oraon	297,394	291,173	437,574	536,919	617,138	643,510	993	59	68.1	49.9	69.2	30.8
Pahariya	487	108	3,745	7,889	688	921	1,042	38.2	42.3	34.1	70.2	29.8
Rabha	6,053	2,466	11,256	15,204	15,014	27,820	952	61.3	68.4	53.8	65.7	34.3
Santal	1,200,091	1,376,980	1,666,610	1,997,222	2,280,540	2,512,331	1,012	54.7	66.1	43.5	53.5	46.5
Sauria Paharia	28	158	4,253	4,590	2,332	3,480	1,029	44	49.2	38.9	78.1	21.9
Savar	2,181	4,986	37,247	46,216	43,599	40,374	1,012	40.6	49.9	31.5	45.6	54.4
Limbu (Subba)	—	—	—	—	—	46,847	1,011	81.2	87.8	74.7	64.6	35.4
Tamang	—	—	—	—	—	146,203	1,014	80.4	87.7	73.3	72.5	27.5
Total Scheduled Tribe	2,054,081 [a]	2,532,969 [a]	3,070,668 [a]	3,808,760 [a]	4,406,794 [a]	5,296,953 [a]	999	57.9	68.2	47.7	57.9	42.1

1. Including ambiguous generic Scheduled Tribes entry.

See also

• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

References

1. "Tribal Development Department, Government of West Bengal". adibasikalyan.gov.in. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
2. "Tribal Development Department, Government of West Bengal". www.adibasikalyan.gov.in. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
3. "West Bengal: Data Highlights the Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census of India 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
4. "Scheduled Tribes List" (PDF). tribal.nic.in.