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Proposal to Expand Scheduled Tribes List in Jammu & Kashmir

  • 03 Aug 2023

Recently, the government introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to include four communities in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list in Jammu and Kashmir: "Gadda Brahmin," "Koli," "Paddari Tribe," and "Pahari Ethnic Group."

Key Points:

  • Pahari Ethnic Group: The Paharis are a mix of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, including people of Kashmiri origin who settled in Rajouri and Poonch districts over time.
  • The J&K government recommended including Paharis in the ST list in 1989, but it was initially rejected by the Registrar General of India.
  • Paharis finally received 4% reservation in jobs and education in 2019.
  • Paddari Tribe: The Paddari Tribe reside in the remote Paddar area of Kishtwar district which borders Zanskar (Ladakh) in the north and east, Pangi in Himachal Pradesh in the south, and the rest of J&K in the west.
  • The 2011 census recorded the Paddari population at 21,548, comprising Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, who primarily speak the Paddari language.