Parliament Modifies Scheduled Tribes List for Andhra Pradesh

An Act of Parliament, titled The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act, 2024, received the assent of the President on February 15, 2024, and was subsequently published for general information. This legislative measure was enacted to further amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, with the specific aim of modifying the list of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Andhra Pradesh. The enactment ensures that the official enumeration of tribal communities accurately reflects their current nomenclature and identification.

The key provisions of the 2024 Amendment Act involve specific substitutions within the Schedule of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, particularly in PART I, which pertains to Andhra Pradesh. Under this amendment, entry 25 was substituted with the names “Porja, Bondo Porja, Khond Porja, Parangiperja.” Similarly, entry 28 was replaced with “Savaras, Kapu Savaras, Maliya Savaras, Konda Savaras, Khutto Savaras.” These changes directly impact the recognition and classification of these communities within the state's official list of Scheduled Tribes.

The legislation provided: “An Act further to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Andhra Pradesh.” The Act came into force immediately upon its publication following the Presidential assent on February 15, 2024.

The legislative intent behind such amendments is to ensure that all communities deserving of Scheduled Tribe status, as per constitutional provisions, are correctly identified and included in the official list. This process often involves rectifying historical inaccuracies, incorporating synonyms, or acknowledging sub-groups of existing Scheduled Tribes, thereby ensuring that these communities are not inadvertently excluded from the benefits and protections guaranteed under the Constitution. The earlier legal position, established by the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, provided the initial framework, but periodic amendments become necessary to address evolving ethnographic realities and representations from state governments.

This amendment addresses statutory gaps or ambiguities that may have arisen over time regarding the precise nomenclature of these tribal groups. By updating the entries, the Act aims to eliminate any potential for misidentification or exclusion, ensuring that members of the Porja and Savaras communities, including their specified sub-groups, are unequivocally recognized as Scheduled Tribes. This recognition is crucial for their access to various constitutional safeguards, affirmative action policies, and welfare schemes designed for the upliftment of Scheduled Tribes (communities identified under Article 342 of the Constitution, eligible for special provisions). The Act does not introduce new enforcement mechanisms but rather refines the existing statutory framework for the identification of Scheduled Tribes.

Keywords: Scheduled Tribes, Andhra Pradesh, Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 2024, Tribal communities, Legislative amendment, India, Parliament Geo Tags: India, Andhra Pradesh District: Not Applicable