Imphal, May 11: Government of India on June 15, 1999 (as further amended on 25.6.2002), has approved modalities for deciding claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in orders specifying lists of STs.
The criteria followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are (i) indications of primitive traits, (ii) distinctive culture, (iii) geographical isolation, (iv) shyness of contact with the community at large, and (v) backwardness, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Accordingly, only those proposals which have been recommended and justified by concerned State Government / UT Administration can be processed further. Thereafter, it has to be concurred with by Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for consideration for amendment of legislation, said the Minister.
Further he also informed that there is no attempt to dilute the existing criteria by the Government.