Which community was categorized as Scheduled Caste (SC) by a 2015 Bihar government notification, which was quashed in July 2024 b…

Current Affairs ·Previously asked in BPSC CCE 2024

View the full solved paper: GS 2024 (Series G)

Question

Which community was categorized as Scheduled Caste (SC) by a 2015 Bihar government notification, which was quashed in July 2024 by the Supreme Court, ruling that states cannot make changes to the SC list published under Article 341 of the Constitution?

  1. A. Lal Begi
  2. B. Tanti-Tantwa (Correct answer)
  3. C. Pano
  4. D. Dabgar

Correct Answer

Option B — Tanti-Tantwa

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Tanti-Tantwa.

Key Points

  • In July 2024, the Supreme Court quashed a 2015 Bihar government notification that had merged the Tanti-Tantwa community into the Scheduled Caste (SC) category (clubbing it with the 'Pan/Sawasi' caste).
  • The Court ruled that states have no power to alter the Scheduled Caste list, which is published under Article 341 and can be amended only by Parliament.
  • The community involved in this case was Tanti-Tantwa, making option (B) correct.

Additional Information

  • the judgment reaffirmed that any modification to the SC/ST lists is the exclusive domain of Parliament, not state governments — protecting the sanctity of the constitutional lists.