Centre introduces Bills to modify ST list in four States

Subject : Polity

The Union government has introduced four bills that propose to make changes to the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in four States namely Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Lok Sabha by making amendments to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.

About the bill

The Bill proposes to add the Narikoravan and Kuruvikkaran hill tribes to the ST list of Tamil Nadu.
The government through another Bill sought to introduce Betta-Kuruba as a synonym for the already categorised Kadu Kuruba in the ST list of Karnataka.
A Bill was also moved to add a number of synonyms in the Devanagari script for the already categorised Bhariya Bhumia tribe in the ST list of Chhattisgarh.
Further, the Hattee community of the Trans-Giri region in the Sirmaur district was added to the ST list of Himachal Pradesh.

Definition of STs:

The Constitution does not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribes.
However, Article 366(25) of the Constitution only provides process to define Scheduled Tribes: “Scheduled Tribes means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
Article 342(1): The President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor, by a public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe in relation to that State or Union Territory.

Process for inclusion in the ST List

Under article 341 (2) of the Constitution the power to make changes to the SC and ST list lies with the Parliament and not state legislatures. Any change in the lists of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes requires a constitutional amendment.
In the case of STs, the community must be shown to be a tribe which is isolated, and lives in vulnerable conditions. This has to be proved anthropologically.
The process to include tribes in the ST list begins with the recommendation from the respective State governments, which are then sent to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, which reviews and sends them to the Registrar General of India for approval.
This is followed by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes’ approval before the list is sent to the Cabinet for a final decision.