India has a largest tribal population in the world. Of the total population of India, 8.6% belongs to the Scheduled Tribes (ST). According to 2011 census Scheduled Tribe population of Tamilnadu is 8.21 lakh representing, 1.10% of the total population of the state. Of the total Scheduled Tribe population, 50.09% constitutes male and 49.91% constitutes female. A total of 37 assorted tribal communities are living in the state of Tamilnadu. The highly populated tribes are Malayali, Irula and kattunayakan  . Government of India has categorized a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one Union Territory (UT). Of which 6 tribal communities living in the Nilgiris districts have been designated as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). They are Todas, Kota, Kurumbas, Irular, Paniyan and Kattunayakan. Put together the total population of Scheduled Tribe stood at 32,813 and the literacy rate among them stood at 64.08 % (Census of India, 2011).