The People of India project, a massive exercise carried out by the Anthropological Survey of India, has generated a wealth of information on the hundreds of communities, castes and tribes which exist in this country. These communities are presented in an alphabetical order for easy reference, and the subjects covered in each case include culture, society, location, language, script, biological variation, educational level, impact of development, food habits, rituals and work practices.

Volume II, The Scheduled Castes (Volume I, An Introduction to the People of India, was published by Seagull Publishers, Calcutta) puts together information on all the Scheduled Castes of India, including their 445 segments and 306 territorial units. This is the most comprehensive account ever of these castes, which comprise 15.75 per cent of India's population. It is based on first-hand surveys and questionnaires.

This volume represents as accurate a list of India's Scheduled Castes as can currently be made. It reveals a highly heterogeneous profile of Scheduled Caste communities, which are spread across the country and which are mainly landless, with little control over resources such as land, forest and water. It also shows the persistence of 'untouchability' in many pockets, and the variable measures of equality that have so far been achieved in the struggle for social upliftment by the Scheduled Castes.

It reveals that these castes have been increasingly involved in modern occupations, such as service in government departments wherever traditional industries have declined. As a consequence, a new sense of self-respect is in the air, gradually replacing some of the old myths which sought to legitimize their degradation.

1. In a country where social upheaval is common and where it is important to establish the status and living conditions of each community, this volume will prove an essential work of reference for parliamentarians, government offices, social workers, activists, sociologists, and anyone who needs documentary evidence on the people of India.