Replying to an un-starred question today in Rajya Sabha the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed that the criteria followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are: -

• Indications of primitive traits,
• Distinctive culture,
• Geographical isolation,
• Shyness of contact with the community at large, and
• Backwardness.

Further, the Government of India on 15.6.1999 (further amended on 25.6.2002 and 14.9.2022) has laid down the modalities for deciding the claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lists. As per the modalities, only those proposals which have been recommended and justified by the concerned State Government/UT Administration and concurred with by Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) are to be considered and legislation amended. All action on the proposals is taken as per these approved modalities. The recommendation of the concerned State Government is pre-requisite to process the case further. A copy of modalities for deciding claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in the Orders specifying Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lists is enclosed as per Annexure.

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RN/

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