Thiruvananthapuram: The Planning Board has found that the census and tribal surveys conducted by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration were contradictory and suggested a lack of co-ordination between the organisers of Scheduled Tribe survey 2008 and census 2011. The growth rate of Scheduled Tribe population in Kerala during the seven-year period between 2001 census and 2008 survey was 17.03 per cent. The population as per census 2001 was 3,64,189 while that of the survey conducted in 2008 was 4,26,208.
This rate is not realistic, though it appears as real, says the report, ‘Inadequacy of existing database on the socio economic conditions of ST families’ — a case study based on census data 2001, 2011 and ST survey data 2008 of the Planning Board. This growth rate was due to the non-coverage of ST communities in south Kerala during ST survey 2008 and inclusion of ST communities during 2003 in some districts, mainly northern Kerala.
While statutory inclusion is justifiable and acceptable, the omission of ST families due to non-coverage cannot be justified, the report pointed out. The ST population as per census 2011 was 4,84,839 - a growth rate of 13.76 per cent in three years from 2008. As no new community has been added to the ST list during 2008-2011, this high growth rate is impractical.
The decadal growth of ST population during 2001 to 2011 must be 45.87 per cent, which will never happen even if all the estimated 4,58,66 persons ST families who kept aloof from ST survey 2008 also have been covered in the census 2011. The reason for this volatile growth may be due to the listing of illicit ST claiming families during the enumeration process of census 2011.
The census authorities of 2011 might not have verified the community status of families while they noted the name of the community in the census schedule, the report pointed out. The decennial growth rate of general population in Kerala during 2001-11 was 4.92 per cent only. The ST rate cannot deviate from the general trend of population growth beyond a certain limit, the report said.
