Article 342 defines the constitutional procedure for identifying and recognizing Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India,

It empowers the President and Parliament to notify and amend the ST list for each State and Union Territory.

It is included in Part XVI of the constitution, which contains special provisions for certain classes of citizens.

Provisions of Article 342

Article 342 consists of two main clauses that define the roles of the President and Parliament in the process.

1) Article 342(1): This clause empowers the President of India to specify, by public notification, the tribes or tribal communities, or groups within them, that shall be considered Scheduled Tribes in relation to a specific State or Union Territory.

Consultation with Governor: If the notification is for a state, the President must first consult with the Governor of that state.

Constitutional Validity: Once a community is notified as an ST under this clause, the Supreme Court has ruled that this list is binding and cannot be changed by any other authority. The list can be different from one state to another.

2) Article 342(2): This clause grants Parliament the exclusive power to include or exclude any tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in the President's notification. This is done through a law passed by Parliament.

This provision makes it clear that only Parliament has the authority to amend the official ST list. No state government or other body can modify the list once it's officially notified.