Debate Over Scheduled Tribe Status for Gangota Community

The Bihar government's proposal to confer Scheduled Tribes status on the Gangota community is currently under review by the central authorities. Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, confirmed the Registrar General of India has called for justifications on the proposal.

The proposal, originally submitted in November 2019, included an ethnographic report but failed to secure the backing of the Registrar General of India. In February 2021, the Bihar government was urged to provide further justification or additional information concerning the request.

Minister Uikey outlined the strict criteria for altering the Scheduled Tribes list, emphasizing that any propositions require state and national-level agreement, according to procedures established in 1999 and amended in subsequent years.