Parliament Question: Benefits for STs in Union Territories

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2027 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30/07/2026 BENEFITS FOR STs IN UNION TERRITORRIES 2027. Shri Rajkumar Roat: Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) the Scheduled Tribes (ST) population as per Census 2011 in the Union Territories in the country and the latest estimated population therein along with the details of benefits being provided to ST communities in each UT, UT-wise; (b) whether the Government has identified members of tribal communities residing in the UT of Delhi for more than fifty years and whether the Government proposes to grant them Scheduled Tribe status and include them in the enumeration of Scheduled Tribes in the forthcoming Census and if so, the timeline thereof; (c) the existing provisions relating to reservation for Scheduled Tribes residing in the Union Territories in political institutions and administrative services; and (d) whether the Government proposes to provide reservation in political institutions and administrative services in the Union Territories on the basis of the Scheduled Tribe population and if so, the details and the timeline thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY) (a) Union Territory-wise Scheduled Tribe (ST) population as per Census,2011: S. No. UT ST Population(in no.’s) 1 Jammu & Kashmir 12,75,106 2 Ladhak 2,18,193 3 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 28,530 4 Chandigarh NST 5 Dadra & Nagar haveli and Daman Diu 1,93,927 6 Lakshadweep 61,120 7 Puducherry NST 8 Delhi NST Note:’NST’ means No Notified Scheduled Tribes The latest census-based figures of ST population will be available after the release of the next population census. The Government continues to support the welfare and socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes through various schemes and interventions of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. These include Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) for saturation of infrastructure and basic services in tribalvillages; Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) for the holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for providing quality residential education to tribal students; Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, National Scholarship for Higher Education, National Fellowship and National Overseas Scholarship Schemes for educational support; Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution for bridging critical infrastructure gaps in Scheduled Areas and tribal areas; Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organisations for education, health and livelihood initiatives; Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM), National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) and Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (VCF-ST) for promoting sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurship and concessional credit; and Tribal Research, Information, Education, Communication and Events (TRI-ECE) for research, documentation and capacity building. In addition, health, education, drinking water, connectivity and other infrastructure-related interventions are being implemented through convergence with the concerned Ministries/Departments. (b): As per available information no proposal for grant of Scheduled Tribe status to any community on the basis of duration of residence in the UT of Delhi is under consideration in this Ministry. Grant of Scheduled Tribe status is governed by Article 342 of the Constitution, under which a community can be specified as a Scheduled Tribe only through a notification issued by the President after consultation with the Governor/Administrator concerned, and any subsequent inclusion or exclusion is affected only by an Act of Parliament amending the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. Such proposals are examined against the criteria recommended by the Lokur Committee (1965) — namely, indications of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large, and social and economic backwardness — and require a specific recommendation from the concerned State Government/UT Administration, followed by concurrence of the Registrar General of India and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. (c) and (d): Reservation for Scheduled Tribes in Union Territories is presently provided as under: (i) Political institutions: Reservation of seats for STs in the UT Legislative Assemblies/Panchayats/Municipalities is provided in proportion to their population under the respective Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Delimitation Act, 2002 and other applicable local laws, in Union Territories having notified ST population, namely Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. No such reservation applies in Chandigarh, Delhi and Puducherry, since no ST is notified therein. (ii) Administrative services: Reservation in direct recruitment to civil posts and services under the Union Territory administrations follows the reservation policy of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India, which prescribes 7.5% reservation for Scheduled Tribes at the all-India level. In Union Territories with a predominant or substantial ST population (such as Lakshadweep and Dadra & Nagar Haveli), a higher percentage of reservation is provided in local/UT cadre recruitment, commensurate with the local ST population, as notified by the respective UT Administration from time to time. *****