Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in A Study on Socio-Economic and Health Conditions of the Tribal Peoples of the Nilgiri District-Tamil Nadu 1 Dr.S.Ponnarasu & 2 S.Madevan 1Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Gobi Arts & Science College, Gobichettipalayam. 2PhD Research Scholar Department of Economics Gobi Arts & Science College Gobichettipalayam Abstract : The Nilgiris is the moderately populated To explore about the socio economic district of Tamil Nadu that has a rich tribal conditions of the tribal peoples presence. There are about– tribes living in different To find the availability and adequacy of parts of the district. Nilgiris has – lakh of tribal healthcare facilities in the study area people which are just above – percent of total population of Tamil Nadu. The tribal people differ TRIBAL POPULATION in their social organizations and marital customs Although the Census of 2011 enumerates rites and rituals, foods and other customs from the the total population of Scheduled Tribes at people of the rest of the state. Most of the tribal 10,42,81,034 persons, constituting 8.6 per cent of people speak in their own languages. This paper the population of the country, the tribal presents current socio conditions of the tribal communities in India are enormously diverse and peoples and to find the availability and adequacy heterogeneous. There are wide ranging diversities of healthcare facilities in the study area. among them in respect of languages spoken, size of population and mode of livelihood. The number of Keywords: Socio economic, Healthcare. communities that find their place in the list of the Schedule of the Indian constitution is reflective of INTRODUCTION this diversity. The Government of India, in its Draft The tribal population of the country, as per National Tribal Policy, 2006 records 698 the 2001 Census, is 8.43 crore, constituting8.2% of Scheduled Tribes in India. As per the Census of the total population. The population of tribes had India 2011, the number of individual groups grown at the rate of 24.45% during the period notified as Scheduled Tribes is 705. While it is not 1991-2001. This is slightly more than the decadal possible to provide detailed descriptions of the growth rate of 22.66% for the nation as a whole. demographic features and socio-economic status of More than half the Scheduled Tribe population is each of these tribal groups, this section attempts to concentrated in the States of Madhya Pradesh, map out the broad contours of the Scheduled Tribes Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and of the country in terms of their demography and Gujarat. The main concentration of tribal geography. population besides Central India is in the North- Eastern States. However, Tribal shaves a presence TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN TAMILNADU in all the States and Union Territories except Tribal communities constitute less than Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Pondicherry and one per cent of the total population in the State Chandigarh. The lifestyle of the tribal people is (population around 6.25 lakh). These communities conditioned by the ecosystem and is in tune with are spread throughout the State, but there is a nature and natural resources. Tribal people, being higher concentration in 12 districts which are essentially ecosystem people, vary widely over the referred to as the Tribal districts. Historically, tribal country matching the country’s wide-ranging communities in Tamil Nadu have not enjoyed diversity in nature and natural resources. In adequate healthcare services. Inaccessibility and general, most tribal populations inhabit under- cultural factors are some of the reasons for this. developed areas of the country which are remote, Tribal communities are spread both in the plains have low density of population and lack adequate and hilly terrain, and communities located in access to basic amenities, education, employment remote areas pose a challenge when it comes to opportunities and affordable healthcare services. providing healthcare services. Studies indicate that only one to two per cent of the tribal communities OBJECTIVES access the hospital facilities most of the patients being non-tribal from the area, even though tribal Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 30 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in communities constitute 20 to 30 per cent of the Source: Tribal Education Status population in that area. Documentation (2010-11) Table 1 reveals that out of the total tribal TABLE 1.DISTRIBUTION OF ST population in the Niligiris’ district of Tamil Nadu, POPULATION IN THE DISTRICT about 32 percent of the tribal population residing in The following schedule depicts the number of ST Pandalur taluk of the district. The next highest population in different blocks of the district number of tribes living in Kotagiri taluk with 24 S. No. Block Percent percent. The lowest number of tribes found in 1 Pandalur 32.08 Coonoor taluk of the district. The reason behind the 2 Kotagiri 24.10 increase in tribes population in Pandalur and 3 Gudalur 14.33 Gudalur taluk of the Nilgiris district is that most of 4 Kundah 13.16 the people are employed in tea estates. As tea 5 Ooty 9.27 estates are found more in those areas, people who 6 Coonoor 6.96 got employment in those places got settled their Total 100 itself. TABLE 2.EDUCATION STATUS OF PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT Literacy rate of the state and the district S. No. Area Literacy Rate Male Female 1 TamilNadu 80.33 86.81 73.86 2 The Nilgiris district 85.20 91.72 78.98 Source: Census 2011. Table 2 depicts the details about the male and female in the state is concerned, it is literacy rate of the states and the district for the 86.81 and 73.86 respectively. In the study area, the year 2011. The literacy rate of the state is 80.33 male and female literacy rate is 91.72 and 78.98 and the literacy rate of the study area is 85.20. The respectively. Even in the male and female category, Nilgiris district surpassed the state in the literacy the Nilgiris district is above the state average. rate by about 5 percent. Among the literacy rate of TABLE 3.EDUCATION STATUS OF TRIBES IN THE DISTRICT Name of tribes Non-literates Literates Female Male Total Female Male Total Todas 580 467 1047 316 285 601 Kotas 450 628 1078 512 395 907 Kurumbas 3167 4286 7453 1937 973 2910 Irula 2399 3320 5719 2010 985 2995 Paniyas 1987 1910 3897 210 226 436 Total 8583 10611 19194 4985 2864 7849 Source: Tribal Research centre (TRC), Hill Area Development Programme (HADP), Udhagamandalam, TamilNadu, and PP.58-66. Table 3 reveals the education part of the literates out of the total literates among the tribal tribes in the district. Out of the total tribes population in the study area. It constitutes about population, about 7849 are literates and 19194 are 63.51 and 36.49 percent respectively. Under the illiterates. It constitutes about 70.97 and 29.03 illiterates category, the number of women and men percent respectively. Between the male and female are 8583 and 10611 respectively. They constitute category, about 4985 women and 2864 men are about 44.71 and 55.29 percent respectively. TABLE 4.POVERTY AMONG SC AND ST IN THE DISTRICT Blocks SC ST OBC Others Total Gudalur 34.75 41.78 34.63 34.16 35.39 Udhagamandalam 21.20 23.86 16.36 53.20 33.39 Kotagiri 35.86 38.90 27.78 30.00 32.41 Coonoor 38.31 25.30 30.45 24.77 42.17 The Nilgiris 32.56 40.00 26.65 41.50 34.80 Source: Compiled from Rural BPL Household Census, 2002. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 31 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Table 4 shows that among the various 40, 33 and 27 respectively. The reason behind the categories of the people, poverty is found more high rate of poverty with respect to ST population among the ST population in all the study blocks of is poor education, poor sources of earning, number the district. In the district, the percentage of people of children and unemployment. under poverty comprising of ST, SC and OBC is TABLE 5.PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES S.No. SC, ST and OBC welfare and 2008-09 2009-10 % Change Social Security 1 Tamil Nadu 390986 (17.71) 405587 (18.59) 3.73 2. The Nilgiris’ 2636.84 (15.45) 2719.58 (12.47) 3.14 Source: Office of the district Treasury Officer, The Nilgiris, Udhagamandalam. Table 5 reveals that the government amount spent is Rs. 2,636.84 lakhs and the same expenditure on the social welfare and security has increased to Rs. 2,719.58 Lakhs. There is an shows an improvement in Tamil Nadu. The amount increase of about 3.14 percent. In the Nilgiris spent on welfare measures in the year 2008-09 is district, the amount spent on welfare activities has about Rs. 3.09,986 Lakhs and the same has increased during 2009 – 10. But the allocation for increased to Rs.4, 05,587 Lakhs in the year 2009- the welfare measures has declined out of the total 10. There is an increase of 3.73 percent. In the case allocation. of the NIlgiris district, in the year 2008-09, the Problems in accessing health care: Percentage of women who reported that specific, problem are big problems for them in accessing medical advice or treatment for themselves when they are sick Type of problem in accessing medical advice or treatment Background characteristics Getting Getting permission to go treatment Getting for money treatment