Consider the following statements : 1. It is the Governor of the State who recognizes and declares any community of that State as a Scheduled Tribe. 2. A community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State. . Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Why the answer is (b)

• Under Article 342 it is the President who, by public notification after consulting the Governor, specifies the tribes or tribal communities to be deemed Scheduled Tribes in a State; later changes can be made only by Parliament — so statement 1, which credits the Governor, is wrong.

• Statement 2 is correct: the ST lists are State-specific, so a community may be a Scheduled Tribe in one State and not in a neighbouring State (the Supreme Court affirmed this in Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao, 1990).

• The same State-specific principle applies to Scheduled Castes under Article 341.

• Hence 2 only, option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 only: Statement 1 is wrong: the President, not the Governor, notifies Scheduled Tribes.
(c) Both 1 and 2: Statement 1 is wrong, so both cannot be correct.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2: Statement 2 is correct: ST status is State-specific.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024, held on 16 June 2024. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.