Population and Tribes of Rajasthan

The basic population picture

According to the 2011 Census, Rajasthan's total population was around 6.86 crore (since the 2021 Census hasn't taken place yet, this 2011 figure remains the official baseline, and aspirants should update it once new numbers are released). By population, Rajasthan ranks among India's larger states, while by area it is India's largest state — meaning population density is comparatively low, especially in the western desert districts (Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner). Urban-centred districts like Jaipur and Jodhpur, by contrast, have much higher population density.

Scheduled Tribe (ST) population is estimated at roughly one-seventh of the state's total population, and it is concentrated mainly in southern and south-eastern Rajasthan — Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Udaipur, Sirohi and Chittorgarh. This belt is also known, geographically and culturally, as the 'Vagad region'.

Rajasthan's major tribes and their regions

Meena and Bhil together account for a large share of the state's Scheduled Tribe population (estimates based on the 2011 Census).

A few more important tribal and social facts

The central government has declared the Sahariya tribe a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), and it is the only tribe in Rajasthan recognised in this category — which is exactly why this is such a recurring REET Mains fact. The state government has also created a separate Tribal Sub-Plan Area (TSP) for the tribal-majority districts of southern Rajasthan, where special education, health and livelihood schemes apply — useful for future teachers to know, since recruitment and posting rules for schools in TSP areas sometimes carry separate provisions.

Detailed figures like sex ratio, literacy rate and the urban-rural split keep changing over time, so we are deliberately not quoting an unstable number here — check the Rajasthan government's Economic Survey or the official Census website for the latest figures right before your exam.

Tribal festivals, fairs and cultural identity

Rajasthan's tribes have their own distinctive festivals and fairs, which also come up in cultural-social GK. The Beneshwar fair, held in Dungarpur district at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers, is a major religious-cultural event for southern Rajasthan's tribal population — it is also called the 'Prayagraj of Vagad' and the 'Kumbh of the tribals'. The Bhil community's Gavri dance-drama (a traditional folk performance that runs for roughly 40 days) is a key part of southern Rajasthan's cultural identity. Local festivals and traditions like these matter to a future teacher too, because classroom activities built around them — such as discussing a local festival — are an easy way to build a connection with students.

Scheduled Caste (SC) population also forms a notable share in Rajasthan and is spread across almost every district, though its concentration pattern is not as geographically clustered as that of the tribes. In terms of urbanisation, Rajasthan is still considered a relatively rural-majority state, even though urban population has grown fast in big cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota.

Why this matters for REET Mains

This topic matters for two reasons — first, direct factual questions show up in the exam (a tribe and its region), and second, it gives a future teacher practical understanding, since many of Rajasthan's government schools are located precisely in tribal areas. A common mistake is flipping the order of 'Meena' and 'Bhil' — remember, as per the 2011 Census, Meena is the state's largest tribe and Bhil the second-largest, even though at the India level Bhil is counted as the country's largest tribe. This is the difference between national-level and state-level data that aspirants often confuse, and it is worth double-checking whenever a question mixes the two scales together.

Practice questions

Frequently asked questions

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