ST status to Pahari community

In News

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has cleared the way for the inclusion of the ‘Pahari ethnic group’ in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Currently, Jammu and Kashmir has 12 communities that have been notified as STs.

How will the inclusion happen? 

• For the addition to the ST list of J&K, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be required to bring a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 accordingly.
• The addition will be finalised once the President of India notifies the revised schedule as empowered by Article 342 of the Constitution of India.  

About Pahari community

• It is a linguistic group mainly residing in the Pir Panjal valley comprising Rajouri and Poonch districts.
  • They are also spread in parts of the Kashmir valley.
• Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis are non-Kashmiri speaking population of J&K. 
  • Paharis also comprise both Hindus and Muslims unlike Bakerwals and Gujjars, two prominent nomadic clans. 

Source: TH