Article 342 Power for President to Specify Scheduled Tribes

The question asks about the specific Article in the Indian Constitution that grants the President the authority to declare certain communities as Scheduled Tribes (STs) for a particular area.

Understanding Scheduled Tribes in the Constitution

The Constitution of India identifies various communities and provides special provisions for their upliftment and protection. Two such categories are Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The process for officially recognizing these groups is laid out in specific constitutional articles.

Article 342: Specifying Scheduled Tribes

Article 342 of the Indian Constitution deals directly with the specification of Scheduled Tribes.

• Presidential Order: According to Article 342(1), the President may, after consulting the Governor, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts thereof which are to be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution as Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union territory. This is done through a public notification or Order.
• Parliament's Role: Article 342(2) states that Parliament may, by law, include or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in the notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part thereof.

Therefore, Article 342 is the primary constitutional provision empowering the President to notify Scheduled Tribes, with Parliament having the power to modify these lists later.

Why Other Articles Are Incorrect

Let's look at why the other options are not the correct answer:

• Article 343: This Article deals with the Official Language of the Union of India, specifying Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language. It has no relation to Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 336: This Article provides for special provisions for the appointment of members of the Anglo-Indian community to posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State. It is not related to Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 340: This Article deals with the appointment of a commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes and make recommendations. While related to backward classes, it is distinct from the specific power to notify Scheduled Tribes under Article 342.

Based on this analysis, Article 342 is the correct provision for the President's power to specify Scheduled Tribes.