The criteria followed for inclusion of a caste in the list of Scheduled Castes is extreme social, educational and economic backwardness arising out of traditional practice of ‘untouchability’. Further Government made modalities in June, 1999 as amended in June, 2002, for consideration of specification of castes as Scheduled Castes.

State/ Union Territory-wise details of proposals received during last two years and current year are as under;-

            The above proposals have been processed in accordance with the aforesaid Modalities. The details of action taken are as under:-

The proposals in respect of Sonkar caste of Chhattisgarh, Paik, Khandit, Khandit Paik castes of Jharkhand, Jangda caste of Madhya Pradesh, Kahar, Kashyap , Kewat, Mallah, Nishad, Dheevar, Bind, Dheemar, Batham, Turha, Godiya, Manjhi, Machhua,. Bhar, Rajbhar, Kumhar and Prajapati castes of Uttar Pradesh, and Berwa and Kapadia castes of Delhi have been returned to the the concerned State Governments/ Union Territory Administration to further justify their recommendation in the light of observations of the Registrar General of India (RGI). The proposal of Valmiki caste of Dadra & Nagar Haveli has been sent to the Union Territory Administration with the request to substantiate their recommendation with requisite ethnographic details. The proposal of Chain caste of West Bengal has been sent to the RGI for comments. The proposal of Sarathi, Sooth Sarathi, Sahis, Sais, Thanwar caste of Chhattisgarh has been sent to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes for comments.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha here today.

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RTS/asb