Scheduled Tribes as
defined by the Law
Tribal population is
found in various States and UTs of India. In the post-Independence period, all
the tribal communities were grouped together as "Scheduled Tribes",
under the Constitution.
The main criteria adopted
for specifying communities as "Scheduled Tribes" include: -
·
Traditional
occupation of a definite geographical area.
·
Distinctive
culture that includes a whole spectrum of tribal ways of life, i.e., language,
customs, traditions, religious beliefs, arts and crafts, etc.
·
Primitive
traits depicting occupational pattern, economy, etc.
·
Lack
of educational and techno-economic development
The first
specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State/ Union
Territory is by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the
State Government concerned. These orders can be modified subsequently only
through an Act of Parliament. As per Article 342 of the Constitution of India,
the President, after consultation with the State Governments concerned, has
promulgated 9 orders so far, specifying the Scheduled Tribes in relation to
the concerned State and Union Territories.
What is a Tribe
Certificate and Why Is it Needed?
A Tribe Certificate
is the proof of one’s belonging to a ‘Scheduled Tribe’, as per the
specifications mentioned in the Indian Constitution. The Government felt that
the Scheduled Tribes need special encouragement and opportunities to progress
at the same pace as the rest of the citizenry. As a result, as part of the
Indian system of Protective Discrimination, there exist certain special
privileges granted to this category of citizens, such as reservation of seats
in the Legislatures and in the Government Service, waiving of a part or the
whole of the fees for admission to schools and colleges, quotas in educational
institutions, relaxation of upper age limits for applying to certain jobs, etc.
To be able to avail these privileges, a citizen belonging to a Scheduled Tribe
must be in possession of a valid Tribe Certificate.
How to Apply for a
Tribe Certificate
People belonging to
the tribes enlisted in the notified orders of the President can apply for
obtaining a Tribe Certificate. Tribal development departments in some states
provide certain online facilities such as downloading the concerned application
form, details on tribal welfare schemes, etc., on their websites. Click on any
of the States given below to access the ‘Tribe Certificate’ application form
for that State.
Select a State to Download the Birth certificate, for that State.
---Select One---
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Delhi
Jammu & Kashmir
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Sikkim
Tripura
West Bengal