Key Highlights:

Parliament has passed

• Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 for Uttar Pradesh
• Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 for Tamil Nadu
• Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2022 for Karnataka

Three essential Constitution (ST) Order Amendment Bills have been passed in  the Parliament during the Winter Session.

In relation to the state of Tamil Nadu, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed unanimously in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2022. After the passing of this Bill in the Parliament, the Bill will include the Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu. The bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 15.12.2022.

Following this, in relation to the state of Karnataka, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2022, was also passed unanimously in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2022. After passing of this Bill in the Parliament, the Bill will include Betta-Kuruba as a synonym for the Kadu Kuruba community in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. The bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 19.12.2022.

Earlier, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament on 14.12.2022 wrt state of Uttar Pradesh. After the passing of this Bill, the Bill will include the transfer of Gond community from list of SCs to STs and inclusion of Dhuria, Nayak, Ojha, Pathari and Rajgond in the list of STs of Uttar Pradesh in the four districts of Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Chandauli and Bhadohi.

In this regard, Shri Arjun Munda remarked  “ Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi, is ensuring that the tribal and other marginalised communities are given due recognition, uplifted, developed and are not left backward, by integrating them with the mainstream of the society. The focus of the central government has been on matters pertaining to the provision of justice to the tribal communities living in remote areas. Continuous efforts are being made and its concrete results are visible to all. Hence, based on the spirit of the Constitution, justice is now being provided to such communities living in all regions of India.”

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NB/SK