GoM recommends a new ST category to fulfil six communities’ demand OBC to be seven categories until Centre’s acceptance

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on according ST status to six ethnic communities of Assam was laid in the state Assembly today. The GoM opines on the creation of a new ST category in the state. It also recommended classification of the existing OBC reservation into seven categories.

The GoM report said that Assam now stands at a decisive moment in resolving decades-long aspirations of the six communities while safeguarding the identity, rights, and political representations of the existing scheduled tribes. The framework proposed in this report – anchored in constitutional mechanism, equitable reservation structure, robust verification system, and sustained dialogue – offers a balanced and durable path forward. The GoM is confident that with collective goodwill, continued consultation and timely action by both central and state governments, a just and inclusive resolution can be achieved.

Some of the recommendations of the GoM are three-tier classification of ST in Assam – ST (Plains), ST (Hills) and ST (Valley) – to protect the political rights and socio-economic and educational interests of the existing ST communities while accommodating the six communities. The committee said the ST (Valley) is the new category comprising the six ethnic communities. This structure will have reservations in Parliament, the Legislative Assembly and local bodies to be reorganised without reducing the current entitlements of ST (P) and ST (H) communities.

On the proposed ST (Valley), the GoM said that it will apply to state-level employment, education and political representation, including parliament and assembly through constitutional or statutory mechanisms. Given the wide geographical spread of the Ahom and Chutia communities and the overlap of their surnames with those of the general Assamese population, a strong and reliable identification and verification mechanism must be put in place before implementation.

The GoM recommended that Lok Sabha constituencies covering Sixth Schedule areas be permanently reserved for the existing STs through a constitutional amendment so that these seats remain reserved regardless of future delimitation exercises. The Kokrajhar and the Diphu Lok Sabha seats must be permanently reserved for ST (P) and ST (H). For ST (V), additional seats will be reserved in Parliament, as the number of reservations will automatically increase in view of the fact that a large number of people will now be recognised as ST in Assam.

The ST (V) category will have a separate reservation quota, with a distinct roster and vacancy registered for all state government recruitments and educational institutions. The existing ST (P) and ST (H) quotas will remain fully protected.

The GoM recommended granting ST (P) status to Moran, Matak, and Koch Rajbongshi (undivided Goalpara district). These groups possess clear ethnographic characteristics, identifiable settlement areas, and limited overlap with other social groups.

On the status of Tea Garden communities, the GoM recommended that 35 communities so far not included in the state OBC list should be immediately included in the list, enabling their cases to be examined for future ST or SC status.

The GoM is of the view that once the Government of India accepts the committee’s recommendations, the issue will be resolved to the satisfaction of both the six communities and the existing tribal communities.  

The GoM recommended that until the ST status is conferred on the six communities by the Government of India, the present OBC reservation should be classified into seven categories – Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch Rabongshi, Tea Tribes and OBCs that do not belong to the above categories. The GoM recommended a comprehensive enumeration and socio-economic survey to enable sub-categorisations within the 27 per cent OBC, particularly benefiting the tea garden groups. In case of settlement of land in Assam, all six communities should be given the same privilege that has been extended to the existing ST communities, and the land rights of these communities should be protected for future generations. 

Also Read: PHDCCI, Ministry of MSME Conclude Two-day National IP Yatra Event in Meghalaya