Page 223 - economic review

195

4.230 Five year plans envisaged that the benefits of economic development resulting from the SOCIAL SERVICE
investments in agriculture, irrigation, education, health, industry and other sectors would in course
of time trickle down to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes also. As it did not had its effect,
The Government of India decided to introduce Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) for the Scheduled Tribes and a
Special Component Plan (SCP) for the Scheduled Castes, stipulating to channelize the flow of outlays
and benefits from general development sectors to these sub-plans, at least in proportion to their
population, for the betterment of these sections. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes of Kerala
state are comparatively better off than their counterparts in other states socially and educationally.
Due to successful implementation of Decentralised Planning Process in Kerala, to a great extent
their isolation and backwardness has been minimised and opportunities have been provided to come
forward in the main stream of the society.

Approach of 12th Five Year Plan for Weaker Sections

4.231 The Twelfth Plan strives harder to achieve the overall improvement in socio-economic conditions
of the marginalised sections like SC, ST, OBC, minorities and other weaker sections by extending
a well balanced prioritization of efforts made for social development and economic empowerment
based on actual needs and problems of these communities. This calls for an inclusive growth process
which provides opportunities for all to participate in this process combined with schemes that would
either deliver benefits directly or more importantly help these groups to benefit from the opportunities
thrown up by the general development process.

Population

4.232 According to 2011 Population Census, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes constitutes
25.24 percent of the total population in India. Scheduled Caste constitutes 16.63 per cent and
Scheduled Tribes 8.61 per cent of population. Decadal growth rate (2001-2011) of Scheduled Caste
is 20.85 per cent and Scheduled Tribes is 23.66 per cent. The highest Scheduled Caste population
is in Punjab, that is, 31.9 per cent of the State’s total population. Lakshadweep has the highest
proportion of Scheduled Tribe population, that is, 94.8 per cent.

4.233 The Scheduled Caste population of Kerala is 3039573 persons as per 2011 Population Census
constituting 9.10 per cent of the total population of the state. There has been a decrease in proportion
of 0.7 per cent as compared to 2001 Population Census. One of the reasons for the decline is that
some communities in Scheduled Caste have been included in the Scheduled Tribe classification
during the period. Sex ratio of Scheduled Caste population in Kerala is 1057.

4.234 The Scheduled Tribe population of Kerala is 484839 persons as per 2011 Population Census
constituting 1.45 per cent of the total population of the State. There has been an increase of 0.63
per cent as compared to 2001 population census. Sex ratio of Scheduled Tribe population in Kerala
is 1035. A comparative picture regarding literacy and sex ratio of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled
Tribe population in Kerala with national level is furnished in Appendix 4.83.

4.235 In Kerala there are 53 communities which belong to Scheduled Caste as per the Amendment
Act of 2006 to the Constitution of India. The settlement pattern in Kerala is entirely different from that
of other States and a major portion of the Schedule Caste population lives in scattered households
with other people and only a small portion live in concentrated colonies, in which very limited number
are isolated. According to 2011 Population Census, the highest distribution of Scheduled Caste
population is in Palakkad District (13.29 per cent) followed by Thiruvananthapuram (12.27 per cent),
Kollam (10 .80 per cent), Thrissur (10.60 per cent) and Malappuram (10.14 per cent). More than
half of SC population (57.17 per cent) of the State is distributed in the above five districts. The
Scheduled Tribes in Kerala are not only geographically concentrated, but are overwhelmingly rural.

Economic Review 2014