RS PASSES BILLS TO ADD PAHARIS, VALMIKIS TO ST, SC LISTS IN J&K

Why in the news:

  • Lok Sabha passed bills to include Valmiki and Pahari communities in Jammu and Kashmir’s SC and ST lists.
  • The bills, The Constitution (J&K) SC Order amendment bill and The Constitution (J&K) ST Order amendment bill, were passed by voice vote after a joint discussion.
source:iasgyan

About the bill:

  • The bill will benefit 272 families who settled in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Rajya Sabha passed bills including Pahari, Paddari Tribe, Gadda Brahmin, and Koli communities into Jammu and Kashmir’s ST list.
  • Valmiki community added to Jammu and Kashmir’s SC list.
  • Union Tribal Affairs Minister assured existing ST communities like Gujjar-Bakarwal and Gaddi about their reservations’ protection and additional reservations for new communities.
About Valmiki and Pahari communities

●   Pahari people reside in Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir.

●   They speak diverse Pahari languages or dialects.

●   These languages belong to Northern Indo-Aryan and are found in the lower Himalayas.

●   Pahari includes Eastern, Central, and Western Pahari languages.

●   Pahari variant refers to the Pahari-Pothwari dialect cluster.