Parliament Question: Inclusion of the Badaga community in the ST list

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1429 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026 INCLUSION OF THE BADAGA COMMUNITY IN THE ST LIST

1429. SHRI R. GIRIRAJAN:

DR. KANIMOZHI NVN SOMU:

Will the Minister of Tribal Affairs be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has taken a serious note on the continuous demand that the Badaga community of Tamil Nadu, which was recognised as an important primitive tribe till the 1931 Census, to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether Government has received any proposal from Government of Tamil Nadu for the inclusion of the Badaga community in the ST list and if so, the details and present status thereof; and

(c) the time frame proposed for taking a final decision in this regard and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) to (c): Government of India on 15.6.1999 (further amended on 25.6.2002 and 14.9.2022) has laid down the modalities for deciding the claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lists. As per these modalities, proposals are required to be recommended and duly justified along with an ethnographic report by the concerned State Government / UT Administration. Thereafter, the proposals are required to be concurred with by the Registrar General of India (RGI) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) to be considered and legislation amended.

All action on the proposals is taken as per these approved modalities The State Government of Tamil Nadu vide its letter No. 20607/CV-1/2014-17 dated

28.01.2021 sent a proposal for inclusion of 'Badaga' community in the Scheduled Tribes list of the State along with an ethnographic report of the community. The said proposal was forwarded to the RGI for examination and furnishing comments of the matter. The RGI vide its letter dated 08.06.2022 did not support the proposal of State Govt. of Tamil Nadu for inclusion of “Badaga” community in ST list of the State. The comments of the ORGI were referred to State Government for furnishing justifications/additional information on the matter vide this Ministry’s letter dated 13.06.2023.A Writ Petition No.16450/2024 was filed in the High Court of Judicature at Madras seeking to issue direction to the State Government of Tamil Nadu to send proposal/justification to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for inclusion of "Badaga" community in ST list of Tamil Nadu.

The Hon'ble High Court, vide Order dated 11.03.2025 has observed that the State Government has accepted the decision of the RGI and cannot compel the State Government to submit a revised proposal or otherwise and has dismissed the Petition.

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