Current procedure for inclusion of communities in Scheduled Tribes list adequate, Centre tells Rajya Sabha

Source: The post is based on the article “Current procedure for inclusion of communities in Scheduled Tribes list adequate, Centre tells Rajya Sabha” published in The Hindu on 16th March 2023

What is the News?

The Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that the current procedure for the inclusion of communities on the Scheduled Tribes list was “adequate”.

What is the current procedure for the inclusion of communities adopted in the ST List?

According to the modalities, for inclusion first framed in 1999, the proposal for inclusion must originate from the respective State or Union Territory government.

Following this, the proposal is sent to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry which sends it to the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI). 

If the ORGI approves the inclusion, the proposal is forwarded to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

Only after the concurrence of these institutions, will the proposal go forward to the Cabinet to bring in the appropriate amendment to the Constitution (Scheduled (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.

What are the criteria adopted to decide whether a community should be included in ST List?

The Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) continues to follow the criteria set out by the Lokur Committee in 1965 to decide whether a community can be included in the ST list.

These criteria include 1) indications of “primitive traits”, 2) Distinctive culture, 3) geographical isolation, 4) shyness of contact with the community at large and 5) backwardness.