The six communities, Tai Ahoms, tea tribes or Adivasis, Moran, Motok, Chutia and Koch-Rajbongshi are currently in Assam’s Other Backward Classes list and comprise ~27% of its population.
Key Recommendations
- Three-tier ST classification in Assam: Inclusion of a third category named ST (Valley).
- Currently, STs in Assam are categorized as ST (Plains) with 10% reservation and ST (Hills) with 5% reservation.
- Central reservation: All ST communities will compete under the common national ST status.
- Interim measures: Sub-categorisation of the existing 27% OBC quota in the state.
About ST Status in the Constitution
- Article 366(25) defines Scheduled Tribes (STs) as those specified under Article 342.
- As per Article 342, the President is empowered to notify the initial ST list. This list can be amended by the Parliament by law.
- Criteria for ST categorization: The Constitution does not list criteria for ST categorization. However, the Lokur Committee (1965) provided criteria such as Primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact, and backwardness.
