SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION OF SCHEDULED CASTE AND SCHEDULED TRIBEPOPULATION IN DIFFERENT ARID DISTRICTS OF WESTERN RAJASTHAN

The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes together contribute 21.5% of the total population in western Rajasthan. In 1991 census, wide varia tion was observed in the spatial distribution of scheduled caste and s cheduled tribe population and population density in different arid dis tricts. Location quotient method has been used in order to study the c oncentration of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe population within the study region. Seven districts, namely Churu, Ganganagar, Nagaur, S ikar, Jhunjhunu, Jalor and pall are the areas of high concentration of scheduled castes whereas, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Barmer districts are the areas of low concentration. Areas of high concentration of tribal population are Barmer, Jodhpur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Jalor and pall. Her e 90.8% of tribal population of western Rajasthan resides. Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar and Nagaur recorded low concentration. wher e 9.2% of the entire scheduled tribe population resides. Scheduled cas te density follows total population density. Jhunjhunu has highest sch eduled caste population density (41), whereas, Jaisalmer has minimum ( 1) population density. In the entire western Rajasthan, the density of tribal population is highest in Jalor (9.1) and least in Bikaner (0.1 ).