12 Caste Communities of Chhattisgarh Included in Scheduled Tribes

• 15 Sep 2022

Why In News?

• On September 14, 2022, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the inclusion of 12 caste communities of Chhattisgarh in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Key Points

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to include several castes from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
• It is known that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi on February 11, 2021, requesting him to include 12 castes of Chhattisgarh in scheduled tribes.
• From time to time, delegations of different castes of Chhattisgarh had met the Chief Minister and urged him to include their castes in the Scheduled Tribes.
• These delegations had pointed out that they originally belong to scheduled tribes, but due to quantitative error, their caste certificates are not being made, so they and their children are deprived of the benefits to scheduled tribes. The Chief Minister took the initiative to include such tribes of Chhattisgarh in the Scheduled Tribe with sensitivity and also wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard.
• After these caste communities are included in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Chhattisgarh, they will start getting the benefit of the schemes run by the government for Scheduled Tribes. Scholarships, concessional loans, hostel facilities for scheduled tribes boys and girls, along with reservation in government service and educational institutions, will be available.
• According to census 2011, the total population of Scheduled Tribes in the state is 78 lakh 22 thousand 902. About one-third of the total population of the state (30.62 percent) belongs to Scheduled Tribes. Of these, the highest number of 72 lakh 31 thousand 82 are living in rural areas.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has agreed to include 12 communities of Chhattisgarh in the Scheduled Tribes. They are as follows:
  • Bhuinya as a synonym for BhariaBhumia
  • Reformation of the English version of the name Bhuyan Bharia as Bharia without any change.
  • Pondh (Pond)
  • Dhanuhar as a synonym for Dhanwar, Dhanuwar
  • Gadwa
  • Gond with Gondh
  • Kond with Kondh
  • Kodhaku with Kodaku
  • Nagesia, farmer as a synonym for Nagasia
  • Refinement of Dhangad