Scheduled Tribes
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 342 (Scheduled Tribes): Secures legislative representation and National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes (Part XVI).
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 342 ('Scheduled Tribes') in Part XVI (Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes) institutionalizes social justice and political representation for historically marginalized communities. It governs reserved seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha (Art 330) and State Assemblies (Art 332), claims in public services (Art 335), and the constitutional National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (Art 338), Scheduled Tribes (Art 338A), and Backward Classes (Art 338B). Specifically: (1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State 4, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification6 , specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 342): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Scheduled Tribes' under Part XVI
Structured across 3 clause(s) with clear procedural conditions
Requires transparent Parliamentary law-making and democratic accountability rather than arbitrary executive action
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
Under Article 341 and Article 342, once the Presidential notification specifying Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes is issued, any inclusion or exclusion can only be done by an Act of Parliament.
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Fulfils Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision of political and social democracy by giving marginalized communities a guaranteed voice in legislatures and constitutional commissions with civil-court powers to investigate atrocities.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: