20 pc of TN population are dalits

Chennai:

The Schedule Caste population has increased by 26 lakh and constitutes a decadal growth of 21.8 per cent, according to the Primary Census Abstract 2011 – Tamil Nadu.

The report states that the total population of scheduled castes is 1.44 crore of which 95 lakh are in rural areas and 49 lakh in urban areas.

The report states that scheduled caste population constitutes 20 per cent of the total population. The proportion during the last census was 19 per cent. The highest proportion of scheduled castes has been recorded in Tiruvarur (34.1 pc) and the lowest in Kanniyakumari (4.4 pc).

The highest number of SCs has been recorded in Villupuram (10 lakh) and lowest in Kanniyakumari (74,249).

The total schedule tribe population in the state is 7.9 lakh and of this 6.6 lakh are in rural areas and 1.3 in urban areas. The schedule Tribe population constitutes 1.1 per cent of the total population. The proportion during last census was 1.04 pc. Thus there has been an increase of 0.06 pc during the last decade. The data states that the ST population increased by 1.4 lakh and constitutes a decadal growth of 22 pc.