Parliament passes bill to amend list of JK Scheduled Tribes; What it represents

The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989.

MPs in the Rajya Sabha during the interim budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo/Sansad TV)

Parliament session: The Rajya Sabha passed on Friday passed three legislations related to Jammu and Kashmir, including the bill to expand the list of scheduled tribes in the erstwhile state.

Here's what the bill proposes:

The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989.

Officials said the Jammu and Kashmir government has requested inclusion of some tribes and ethnic groups of the Union Territory in the list.

The debate on the Scheduled Tribes legislation was answered by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda.

Munda said the three bills introduced after the abrogation of Article 370 were aimed at providing justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be given political reservations “for the first time”.

Therefore, the bills propose to include the following tribes and groups in the list of Scheduled Tribes:

Gadda Brahmin
Koli
Paddari tribe
Pahari ethnic group

Officials said provisions relating to the State Election Commissioner in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act are “contrary” to the provisions of the Constitution.

Three JK-related bills have been passed in the Senate

On Friday, besides the Scheduled Tribes Bill, the Upper House also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies (Amendment) Bill and the Scheduled Castes (Amendment) to the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Bill.

The three bills have already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

Local authorities bill

The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to provide reservations to other backward classes in the panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and to bring consistency in the laws of the local bodies in the territory of the Union with the provisions of the Constitution, Home Minister Nityanand Rai informed while replying to a debate on the legislation.

It seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Jammu and Kashmir Municipalities Act, 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, Rai said.

Scheduled Caste Order Act

Meanwhile, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar replied to the debate on the bill related to the Scheduled Castes Order.

They said that the Jammu and Kashmir government had recommended inclusion of Valmiki community as synonym of Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki and Mehtar at serial number 5 in the list of Scheduled Castes of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Scheduled Caste (Amendment) of the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 2023, proposes to amend the Schedule of Caste of the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir, 1956) for the inclusion of 'Valmiki'.

(With input from agencies)