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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Under Article 342 it is the President, not the Governor, who specifies the Scheduled Tribes by public notification, consulting the Governor where a State is concerned. The specification is made 'in relation to' a particular State or Union territory, so a community can be a Scheduled Tribe in one State and not in another.
- ✗ 1. Article 342(1) gives the power to the President, who acts by public notification after consulting the Governor of the State. The Governor only gives his views. Once notified, the list can be changed only by Parliament through law (Article 342(2)).
- ✓ 2. A tribe is deemed a Scheduled Tribe 'in relation to that State' (or Union territory). The status is therefore State-specific and does not automatically carry over to another State.
Remember · Scheduled Tribes are specified by the President (after consulting the Governor) under Article 342, State by State. Only Parliament can alter the list; the Governor does not declare them.
Sources
- Constitution of India, Article 342(1): specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a State ↗ “specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State … Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·