Proposal for amendments in (i) the lists of Scheduled Castes in respect of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tripura (ii) modification of Central List of Other Backward Classes for Kerala.

The Cabinet today has approved the proposal for introduction of a Bill in the Parliament for giving effect to the following castes / communities for their inclusion and exclusion, as per approved Modalities, in the list of Scheduled Castes:

S.No.	State	Inclusion /exclusion	Community
1	2	3	4
1	Kerala	Inclusion	(1)    Pulluvan, (2)    Thachar      (Other      than Carpenter)
2	Madhya Pradesh	-do-	(3)     Dahiya
3.	Odisha	-do-	(4)     Amata, Amath
			(5)    Bajia
			(6)     Jaggili, Jagli
			(7)     Buna Pano
4	Tripura	-do-	(8)    Chamar Rohidas, Chamar Ravidas
			(9)    Dhobi
			(10)   Jhalo-Malo
5	Sikkim	Exclusion	(11)   Majhi ( Nepali)

           After the Bill becomes an Act, members of the communities included in the list of Scheduled Castes will be able to derive benefits meant for Scheduled Castes under the existing schemes. Some of the major schemes of this kind include Post Matric Scholarship, National Overseas Scholarship, Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship, Top Class Education, Concessional Loans from National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, Hostels for SC Boys and Girls etc.

The Constitution of India provides certain privileges / concessions to the members of Scheduled Castes which are notified under the provisions of Article 341 of the Constitution of India. The first list of Scheduled Castes in relation to a State or Union Territory is by a notified Order of the President after having consultation with the State Government concerned and any subsequent inclusion in or exclusion for the list of Scheduled Castes can be effected through an Act of Parliament as envisaged under clause (2) of Article 341.

Six Presidential Orders were issued between 1950 and 1978 for specifying Scheduled Castes in respect of various States/Union territories. These Orders have been amended from time to time by Acts of Parliament enacted as per Article 341(2) of the Constitution between 1956 and 2007.

The Government approved modalities in June 1999, as amended in June 2002, for considering proposals in regard to modifications in the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. According to the approved Modalities, amending legislation to the concerned Constitution Order is proposed only in respect of such proposals of the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration, which have been agreed to both by the Registrar General of India (RGI) as well as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

Source : PIB Release, April 12, 2012