Important for
Prelims: Social Issues, Polity- Scheduled Tribes
Mains: General Studies II
Kurmi Community
- The Kurmi Community has called off the agitation in Bengal, asking for the inclusion in the ST (Scheduled Tribe) Status from Other Backward Class (OBC).
- Kurmis were not included among the communities classified as STs in the 1931 Census and were excluded from the ST list in 1950.
- In 2004, the Jharkhand government recommended the community be added to the ST list rather than be categorized as OBCs.
- Following the recommendation, the matter went to the Tribal Research Institute (TRI), which held that Kurmis are a sub-caste of Kunbis and not tribals. Based on this, the Centre rejected the demand of Kurmis to be considered as ST.
Process of Inclusion under ST?
- The respective State or Union Territory government must initiate the proposal for inclusion, which then goes to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry subsequently to the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI).
- If the ORGI approves the inclusion, the proposal is then sent to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes the proposal is forwarded to the Cabinet for amendment to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
About Kurmi Community
Kurmis are distributed across several states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Goa, and Karnataka.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.