Lok Sabha Question No. 3030 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-06
Subject: ST List of Assam
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: NABA KUMAR SARANIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO † 3030

TO BE ANSWERED ON 6.8.2018

## ST LIST OF ASSAM

## †3030.  SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has received any proposal from the State of Assam for inclusion of six communities from Assam into the Scheduled Tribe category;

(b) if so, the present status of particularly tribals and Cooch Rajbangashi community;

(c) whether any complaints have been received by the Government regarding problems being faced in receiving Scheduled Tribes (STs) certificate from State Governments;

(d) if so, the steps taken by the Government with regard to the State of Assam;

(e) whether a number of recommendations still awaiting approval of the Government for inclusion of various tribes in the STs list; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a)  &  (b):    Government of India on 15.6.1999 (as further amended on 25.6.2002), has laid down modalities for deciding claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying lists of Scheduled Tribes (STs). According to these modalities,  only those claims that have been agreed to by the concerned State Government/ UT Administration, the Registrar General of India and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes &  Scheduled  Tribes  (now  National  Commission  for  STs)  will  be  taken  up  for  consideration.  Whenever representations are received in the Ministry for inclusion/ exclusion of any community in/from the list of Scheduled Tribes  of  a  State/  UT,  the  Ministry  forwards  that  representation  to  the  concerned  State  Government/  U.T. Administration  for  recommendation  as  required  under  Article  342  of  the  Constitution.  If  the  concerned  State Government/UT recommends the proposal, then the same is sent to the Registrar General of India (RGI). The RGI, if  satisfied  with  the  recommendation  of  the  State  Government/UT,  recommends  the  proposal  to  the  Central Government. Thereafter, the Government refers the proposal to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes for their recommendation. If the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes also recommends the case, the matter is processed for the decision of the Cabinet. Thereafter, the matter is put up before the Parliament in the form of a Bill to amend the Presidential Order. Cases for inclusion / exclusion which the State Government or the RGI or the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes does not support are rejected.

Government of Assam has sent proposal for inclusion of six communities, namely, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and 36 Tea Tribes (Adivasis) in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Assam. These proposals are under process.

(c) & (d): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for notification of a community as Scheduled Tribe under  Article  342  of  the  Constitution.  The  list  of  Scheduled  Tribes  is  State  /  UT  specific.  Concerned  State Governments / UT Administrations are responsible for issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and verification of social status. Complaints received by Ministry of Tribal Affairs regarding issuance of ST certificate are forwarded to the concerned State Government / UT Administration for taking necessary action. Details of such complaints received are not maintained centrally. In the judgement dated 2-9-1994 of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Kumari Madhuri Patil V/s Additional Commissioner, Tribal Development, Maharashtra (Civil Appeal No. 5854 of 1994),  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  has  given  directions  regarding  streamlining  the  procedure  for  issuance  and verification of social status certificates.  The instructions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court have been conveyed to all State Governments / UT Administrations including Government of Assam for compliance.

(e) & (f): Government has received proposals from various State Governments / UT Administrations for inclusion of communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes of their respective States/UTs, details are given at Annexure. These proposals are at various stages of processing as per the extant modalities.

## ANSWER

## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (e) & (f) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3030 for 6.8.2018 on 'ST List of Assam'.

Details regarding number of proposals received from various States/ UTs for inclusion of communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

|   S. No. | States / UTs      |   Number of Proposals |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh    |                     3 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh |                     1 |
|        3 | Assam             |                     8 |
|        4 | Bihar             |                     3 |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh      |                    27 |
|        6 | Goa               |                     1 |
|        7 | Jammu &Kashmir    |                     2 |
|        8 | Jharkhand         |                     9 |
|        9 | Karnataka         |                     9 |
|       10 | Kerala            |                     3 |
|       11 | Madhya Pradesh    |                     8 |
|       12 | Manipur           |                     1 |
|       13 | Odisha            |                    19 |
|       14 | Punjab            |                     1 |
|       15 | Sikkim            |                     1 |
|       16 | Tamil Nadu        |                     8 |
|       17 | Tripura           |                     1 |
|       18 | Uttarakhand       |                     1 |
|       19 | Uttar Pradesh     |                     2 |
|       20 | West Bengal       |                     3 |
|       21 | Puducherry        |                     1 |

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