Article 341 and 342 of the Constitution of India: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution of India provide the constitutional mechanism for specifying the communities that are treated as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State or Union territory. The initial specification is made by the President by public notification, while later inclusion in or exclusion from the notified list can be made by Parliament by law.

Important: Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe status is linked to the applicable constitutional notification and the State or Union territory concerned. The current official lists and amendment laws should therefore be checked before relying on a community's status.

Meaning of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Article 366 contains constitutional definitions. In substance, a Scheduled Caste is a caste, race, tribe, or part or group within one of them that is deemed under Article 341 to be a Scheduled Caste for the purposes of the Constitution. A Scheduled Tribe is a tribe, tribal community, or part or group within one of them that is deemed under Article 342 to be a Scheduled Tribe for the purposes of the Constitution.

Article 341 - Scheduled Castes

Clause (1): The President may, with respect to a State or Union territory, and in the case of a State after consultation with its Governor, specify by public notification the castes, races or tribes, or parts of or groups within them, which are to be treated as Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union territory.

Clause (2): Parliament may by law include a community in, or exclude a community from, the list specified under clause (1). Apart from such parliamentary legislation, the Presidential notification cannot be varied by a later notification.

What Article 341 means in practice

  • The constitutional list of Scheduled Castes originates through a Presidential notification.
  • The specification is made in relation to a particular State or Union territory.
  • After the initial notification, inclusion or exclusion from the list requires a law made by Parliament.
  • The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment publishes State-wise and Union-territory-wise Scheduled Caste lists and the relevant constitutional orders and amendment laws.

Article 342 - Scheduled Tribes

Clause (1): The President may, with respect to a State or Union territory, and in the case of a State after consultation with its Governor, specify by public notification the tribes or tribal communities, or parts of or groups within them, which are to be treated as Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union territory.

Clause (2): Parliament may by law include a tribe or tribal community in, or exclude it from, the list specified under clause (1). Except through such parliamentary legislation, the Presidential notification cannot be varied by a later notification.

What Article 342 means in practice

  • Scheduled Tribe status is based on the constitutional notification applicable to the relevant State or Union territory.
  • The Ministry of Tribal Affairs explains that Scheduled Tribe lists are State/UT specific.
  • Changes to the notified list after its initial specification are made through legislation enacted by Parliament.
  • The Ministry of Tribal Affairs publishes constitutional provisions, notifications, amendment laws and State-wise Scheduled Tribe information.

Difference between Article 341 and Article 342

Both Articles use a similar constitutional process, but they concern different categories. Article 341 deals with Scheduled Castes, while Article 342 deals with Scheduled Tribes. In both cases, the President makes the initial specification by public notification and Parliament has the power to subsequently include or exclude communities by law.

Official resources for checking current SC and ST status

Because constitutional lists may be amended by Parliament, readers should verify the latest official notification or list for the relevant State or Union territory. See the Legislative Department - Constitution of India, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment - List of Scheduled Castes, and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs - Constitutional and Legal Matters.

Last reviewed: 19 September 2026.