Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. Regional profile of scheduled castes. North-east region: 1. Arunachal Pradesh. 2. Assam. 3. Manipur. 4. Meghalaya. 5. Mizoram. 6. Sikkim. 7. Tripura. Eastern region: 1. Bihar. 2. Jharkhand. 3. Orissa. 4. West Bengal. Northern region: 1. Chandigarh. 2. Delhi. 3. Haryana. 4. Himachal Pradesh. 5. Punjab. 6. Uttaranchal. 7. Uttar Pradesh. Western region: 1. Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 2. Goa, Daman and Diu. 3. Rajasthan. Central region: 1. Chhattisgarh. 2. Madhya Pradesh. 3. Maharashtra. Southern region: 1. Andhra Pradesh. 2. Karnataka. 3. Kerala. 4. Pondicherry (Puduchcheri). 5. Tamil Nadu. Selected bibliography. Appendices: 1. List of Scheduled Caste Communities and statewise distribution. 2. Growth and variation of Scheduled Caste Population in India from 1961 to 1991. 3. State/district level ranking on Scheduled Caste Population in India (census, 1991).

"The Illustrated Atlas of Scheduled Castes of India has depicted a comprehensive picture of the Scheduled Caste Communities, particularly the weaker sections of the people of India. As per the Census of India, 1991, the Scheduled Castes' population constitutes about 16 per cent of the total population of India and 478 communities have been notified under the Scheduled Castes of India. The distribution of population of the caste communities is shown rankwise on population strength in each state/union territory up to district level and the data used for showing the distribution pattern of the Scheduled Castes are recorded from the Census, 1991.

The atlas has evolved 31 plates which comprise two maps of India, six regional, twenty four state maps and three maps of union territories. Only one state, viz. Nagaland and two union territories, viz. Andaman and Nicobar; and Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands are excluded, because Scheduled Caste communities are not recorded there.

The appendix has included a list of Scheduled Caste communities and their statewise distribution. The atlas has also been enriched by a comprehensive table on distribution and percentage of Scheduled Caste population of each state/union territory, from 1961 to 1991. Apart from those there are tables showing state/district level ranking on Scheduled Caste Population of India." (jacket)