Tribal

John Sullivan explores the Nilgiris

Coimbatore Collector John Sullivan set out to explore the Nilgiri hills, leading to the founding of Ootacamund.

Nilgiris separated from Coimbatore district

In August 1868 the Nilgiri hills were detached from Coimbatore district and given a commissioner of their own.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway reaches Ooty

The rack railway from Mettupalayam, opened to Coonoor in 1899, was extended to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in 1908.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary established

About 60 square km of forest in the Nilgiris district was set aside as the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

SC and ST students exempted from tuition fees

A 1970 Government Order exempted Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students up to the Pre-University Course from paying tuition fees.

Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary notified

The forests of the Anaimalai hills in the Western Ghats were notified as a wildlife sanctuary, later the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve established, India's first

India's first biosphere reserve was created from the Nilgiri hills and nearby forests, stretching across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve created

A tiger reserve was formed in the southern Western Ghats by joining the Kalakkad and Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuaries.

Separate 1 percent reservation for Scheduled Tribes

The Karunanidhi government split the combined SC/ST quota and gave Scheduled Tribes a separate 1 percent reservation.

Vachathi atrocity

In Dharmapuri district, a raid on the tribal village of Vachathi by police, forest and revenue officials left villagers assaulted and women raped.

Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve established

A biosphere reserve was created at the southern tip of the Western Ghats, spanning Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts and southern Kerala.

Mudumalai declared a tiger reserve

Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris was declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, with a buffer zone of about 368 square km.