Blurb: Assam government said the Centre alone will decide Scheduled Tribe status for six communities through constitutional procedures and Parliament.
Guwahati
The Assam government on Thursday clarified that the long-pending proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities remains under the consideration of the Central government, with the final decision resting entirely within the constitutional authority of the Centre. The state government said it has completed all responsibilities assigned to it but cannot provide any timeline for the completion of the process.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Chakradhar Gogoi during the Assam Legislative Assembly session, Education and Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu explained that the inclusion of any community in the Scheduled Tribe list is governed by constitutional provisions and requires approval through the prescribed parliamentary process. He stressed that the Assam government has no authority to determine the timeline for the Centre’s decision.
Pegu informed the Assembly that the Central government had requested a detailed report from the Assam government before proceeding with the proposal. The report was sought to evaluate whether granting Scheduled Tribe status to the six communities would have any impact on the constitutional safeguards, reservation benefits and other rights currently enjoyed by the existing Scheduled Tribe communities in the state.
To conduct a comprehensive examination of the issue, the Assam government constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM). The committee was tasked with studying the social, legal and administrative implications of extending Scheduled Tribe status to the six communities while ensuring that the interests of existing tribal groups remained protected.
According to the Minister, the Group of Ministers completed its work and submitted its report to the state government. The report was subsequently placed before the Assam Legislative Assembly during its Winter Session in November 2025, where it received the approval of the House. Following this approval, the government began the process of forwarding the report along with its recommendations to the Central government for further consideration.
Pegu reiterated that the state government has fulfilled its responsibilities in accordance with the directions received from the Centre. He said the remaining stages of the process, including examination of the recommendations, constitutional scrutiny and parliamentary approval, are entirely within the jurisdiction of the Union government.
Responding to a question regarding the likely timeline for granting Scheduled Tribe status, the Minister said the Assam government is not in a position to predict when the proposal will be finalised. Since the matter falls under the constitutional powers of the Central government, any decision will depend on the procedures followed by the Union government and Parliament. The demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the six communities has remained a longstanding issue in Assam’s political and social landscape. Supporters argue that the recognition would provide greater constitutional protection and access to reservation benefits in education, employment and political representation.