Tribal population is visible in various Indian states and Union Territories. However, during the post-Independence period, all the tribal communities were grouped together as "Scheduled Tribes", under the rule of Indian Constitution.

The primary criteria adopted for delimiting Indian backward communities as "Scheduled Tribes" include:

Traditional livelihood of a definitive geographical area.

Characteristic culture that includes a whole gamut of tribal modes of life, i.e., language, customs, traditions, religious beliefs, arts and crafts, etc.

Archaic traits portraying occupational pattern, economy, etc.

Lack of educational and economic development.

The first prerequisite of Indian Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State or Union Territory is through a notified order of the President, after consultation with the concerned State Government. These orders can be modified consequently only through an Act of Parliament. According to Article 342 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consulting with the State Governments concerned, has promulgated nine orders so far. This promulgation has distinctly specified the Scheduled Tribes in relation to the concerned State and Union Territories.

India can proudly be called the largest "tribal" population in the world. The scheduled tribes in India constituted 8.2 percent of India`s population according to 2001 census. This interprets into 82 million people. In all, 698 scheduled tribes exist at present in India. The word "scheduled tribe" is an administrative coinage, used for purposes of dispensing constitutional privileges, security and benefits in independent India. The colonial authorities had ushered in the term "criminal tribe" through the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, which denominated 150 tribal communities as "inherently criminal". Independent India annulled this gruesome piece of legislation in 1952, which however went towards a different direction. Unfortunately that colonial law was replaced with the Habitual Offenders Act instead.

Colonial administrative boundaries paid negligible attention to tribal linguistic distinctiveness. The scheduled tribes in India lived across states despite a common background of language. The historical Jharkhand (not the present-day state, here it is being referred to the British lands) spanned across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal. The Gond region extended across Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa. The Bhils inhabited a region that stretched from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Nagas lived in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

Indian tribal imprint is clearly visible in the Hindu tradition. Much of Hindu civilization possesses tribal forerunners. The tribal element aided in delimiting the Sanskritic inheritance, as the Arthashastra, the Mahabharata and Ramayana suggest. And yet due to reasons of geography, colonial history and several shortcomings in post-independence era, the scheduled tribes are yet to become sophisticated and see the light of day.

The Indian scheduled tribes collectively owned property in keeping with their tradition. The colonial authorities had introduced a land regime where others infringed into traditional tribal lands on the grounds that such land were "terra nullius", i.e. no man`s land. This led to a series of tribal revolts against British colonial rule. And these tribal revolts have been legendary in Indian history, referring to the Malpahariya uprising in 1772, the unrest in Kutch in 1815 and 1832, the Bhil revolt of 1818, the uprising of the Mers in Rajputana in 1820, the rebellion of the Hos in Chote Nagpur in 1831, the uprising of the Khonds in Orissa in 1846 and the Santhal revolt in Bihar in 1855. Heroes like Birsa Munda, Kanhu Santhal and Tantya Bhil stand out valiantly in the chronicles of Indian nationalism. Indian scheduled tribes account for 55 percent of the total displaced population in India.

The Fifth and Sixth Schedules under Article 244 of Indian Constitution in 1950 provided for self-governance in specified tribal majority areas. The then governmental administration issued a draft National Policy on Tribals in 1999 to meet the developmental needs of tribal populations, including the scheduled tribes. Emphasis was laid on education, forestry, health care, land rights, language policy and resettlement. Efforts were also made to distinguish tribal languages such as Bodo, Gond and Santhali. The then Government had established a Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It designated out the states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in acknowledgment of tribal sentiment. The subsequent governmental administration drafted the `controversial` Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill in 2005 to deal with their needs.

The Scheduled Tribes in India, also referred to as adivasis (original inhabitants), are spread across the central, northeast, and southern regions of India. These various tribes resided in India long before the Aryans had arrived approximately in 1500 B.C. The tribals were however socially and geographically isolated, following the entry of the Aryans and then subsequently the Muslims and the British. The more than 650 tribes that make up the Scheduled Tribes speak a multitude of languages. They are also religiously diverse, with some following animism, while others have adopted Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity. The social traditions of most tribals make them stand out from the country`s mainstream Hindu population.

The category of Scheduled Tribes was established in 1950 in India. It attempted to embrace the country`s diverse tribal groups under a mutual banner in an attempt to help address the disadvantages the tribes encountered and to incorporate them into the mainstream Indian society. Along with being geographically and socially isolated, the tribals have historically been politically under-represented. Their regions of residence also have been economically underdeveloped. Scheduled tribe status under the Indian Constitution has designated reserved seats for tribals in political forums, such as the parliament, along with job reservations in the civil service and educational institutions.

Some of the noted scheduled tribes in India comprise: Andamanese, Bodos, Bhils, Chakma, Dhodia Tribes of Gujarat, Gonds, Khasis, aboriginal people of Lakshadweep, Kurichiya, Kurumbar, Tripuris, Mizos, Mundaris, Nagas, Nicobarese, Oraon, Santals, Todas, Maldharis of Gujarat, Cholanaikkan, Warli, Kisan Tribe, Dongria Kondh, Bonda, Kutia Kondh, Bishapus A`Mishapus.