ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the differences between three tribal-majority regions of India and other areas with significant Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations. It presents an analytical overview of the situation at different levels of education and attempts to analyse the reasons for these persisting challenges. The chapter presents the educational situation in four categories of states: Schedule V, Schedule VI, Small/Island states, and other states with significant ST populations. It also utilizes gender-disaggregated data to underscore the point that the educational situation of ST women is perhaps the best litmus test for the persistence of multiple disadvantages. The Tribal Commission of 1960–61 argued that the historical legacy of different regions influenced access to education, participation in schooling, and most importantly the approach of the education system to the specific challenges faced by each group. At that time, the dominant perception was that developmental and educational interventions should respect the cultural and socioeconomic context of the tribal community.
