Overview
- The Group of Ministers’ interim report was approved by the Cabinet and laid in the Assembly, with the state preparing to forward it to the Centre for verification and possible action.
- The report recommends a three-tier framework for Assam’s Scheduled Tribes — ST (Plains), ST (Hills) and a new ST (Valley) — to include six claimant communities without reducing existing ST quotas.
- Proposals place Ahom, Chutia, Tea Tribes/Adivasis and Koch-Rajbongshi (outside undivided Goalpara) in ST (Valley), while Moran, Matak and Koch-Rajbongshi in undivided Goalpara would go to ST (Plains) subject to required clearances.
- For state recruitment and education, ST (Valley) would have separate rosters with existing ST(P) and ST(H) quotas preserved, but central reservations would remain a single national ST pool.
- Student-led protests escalated with the storming and vandalism of the BTC secretariat in Kokrajhar, prohibitory orders were imposed, the CCTOA warned of wider agitation, and the Chief Minister said GoM members will meet tribal representatives to explain the report.