The designation of Scheduled Tribes is a constitutionally significant act that determines access to protective reservations and welfare entitlements. Article 342 vests this power not in Governors but in the President, making precision in the process critical.
Under Article 342, the President — after consultation with the concerned State Governor — specifies tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribes through a public notification. Parliament may thereafter include or exclude communities from this list by law. The Governor has a consultative, not declaratory, role, making Statement 1 incorrect.
Scheduled Tribe lists are state-specific and community-specific. A tribe recognised in one State may not hold that status in another, since social, cultural, and historical criteria vary by region. This state-specific character means ST certificates issued in one State carry no automatic validity in another — a point repeatedly affirmed in administrative and judicial practice.
Recognition is guided by indicators such as geographical isolation, distinctive culture, primitive traits, shyness of contact, and economic backwardness — criteria evolved from the Lokur Committee report. These are applied contextually, explaining why the same community may qualify in one State but not another.
Delays in updating ST lists, fraudulent certificate claims, and exclusion of genuinely marginalised groups remain persistent governance concerns. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs coordinates with States to recommend revisions, but the amendment process through Parliament is slow, leaving many communities in prolonged administrative limbo.
Accurate identification of Scheduled Tribes is foundational to equitable affirmative action. Strengthening the review mechanism — while safeguarding the constitutional integrity of the Presidential notification process — remains an enduring administrative imperative.
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