Tribal people, land rights and governance

Abstract

The Scheduled Tribe (STs) or Adivasis consist of a number of diverse tribals groups that have historically self-identified and been identified by the British colonial and independent Indian states, as lying outside the mainstream of Hindu society, “mainstream is also created by the upper caste society” partly because of their ‘distinctive culture and way of life as a group‘, and slightly because of their ‘geographical isolation’. Currently, there are 750 tribes in 27 states and 6 union territories of India.