Constitution (J&K) ST Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024:
The Lok Sabha has passed the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aiming to include specific ethnic groups and tribes from Jammu and Kashmir into the list of Scheduled Tribes.
- The Union government has also introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in panchayats and Municipal Bodies of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 particularly focuses on including four ethnic groups in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The ethnic groups are Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group”.
- By extending Scheduled Tribe status to these communities, the bill intends to ensure their socio-economic and political empowerment.
- The bill ensures that the reservations for these existing communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals remain unaffected while providing new reservations for the newly listed STs.
- Gujjars and Bakarwals are nomadic — they migrate with their livestock to the higher reaches in the summer, and return before the onset of winter.
- The bill is seen as a significant step towards inclusive development in Jammu and Kashmir, aligning with the government’s commitment to the holistic development of all sections and communities under the “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vishwas” (Together with All, Trust of All) mantra.
