Kurumba Community Classification in Tamil Nadu: ST, Not OBC

The Kurumba (also spelled Kurumbar) are officially classified as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) in Tamil Nadu under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, as amended. They are not listed as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the state. This distinction is critical for accessing government reservations in education, public employment, and legislative bodies, which differ between ST and OBC categories. The Kurumbas are a pastoral and hunter-gatherer community primarily residing in the Nilgiri hills.