GUWAHATI: The long-standing demand to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam is yet to reach its final stage, with the state government informing the Assembly on Thursday, July 9, that the proposal remains under the consideration of the Central Government and no timeline can be indicated for its completion.
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The issue was raised by MLA Chakradhar Gogoi during the Assam Legislative Assembly's Budget Session on July 9, seeking an update on the progress of the proposal and asking whether any hurdles were delaying the process.
Responding to the query, Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu said the power to grant Scheduled Tribe status lies solely with the Central Government and Parliament. As the matter falls under the Centre's jurisdiction, the Assam government cannot specify when a final decision will be taken.
Explaining the delay, the minister said the Centre had asked the state government to submit a detailed report along with recommendations to ensure that the inclusion of the six communities does not affect the constitutional safeguards, reservation benefits or other rights currently available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities in Assam.
Pegu informed the House that the state government had constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the issue and recommend an appropriate course of action. The GoM's report received approval during the Winter Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly in November 2025.
He added that the process of forwarding the approved report and the recommendations to the Central Government is currently in progress.
The minister reiterated that while the state government has completed the necessary groundwork, the final decision on granting ST status will be taken by the Centre after completing the required constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
While no deadline has been fixed for the process, the government expressed hope that the long-pending demand for Scheduled Tribe status for the six communities would be fulfilled in due course.