Assam Government Informs Legislative Assembly on Scheduled Tribe Status Proposal

The proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam remains under the consideration of the Central Government, with the Assam government informing the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that no timeline can be specified for completion of the process. Replying to a question by MLA Chakradhar Gogoi, Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu said the inclusion of communities in the Scheduled Tribe list falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Centre and Parliament, and the state government is therefore not in a position to indicate when a final decision would be taken. Pegu told the House that the Centre had sought a detailed report and recommendations from the Assam government to ensure that the proposed inclusion of the six communities does not adversely affect the constitutional safeguards, reservation benefits and other rights enjoyed by the existing Scheduled Tribes in the state. To examine the issue, the Assam government constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM), whose report was approved during the Winter Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly in November 2025, the minister said. He added that the process of forwarding the GoM’s report and recommendations to the Central Government is currently underway. Pegu said the state government had completed its part of the exercise and that the final decision on granting Scheduled Tribe status rests with the Centre after completion of the prescribed constitutional and parliamentary procedures.