• The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 10, 2017 by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thawar Chand Gehlot.  It was passed by Lok Sabha on March 23, 2017.  The Bill amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled Castes Order, 1964.

• The Constitution empowers the President to specify the Scheduled Castes in various states and union territories.  Further, it permits this list of notified Scheduled Castes (SC) to be modified by Parliament. 

• Amendments to the 1950 Order: The Bill seeks to modify the list of SCs for the state of Odisha.  The castes Sualgiri, Swalgiri will be introduced as synonyms to the Sabakhia caste in the list of SCs for the state of Odisha. 

• Amendments to the 1964 Order: The name of the Union Territory of Pondicherry was modified to Puducherry by a central Act in 2006.  The Bill seeks to incorporate this change and replace ‘Pondicherry’ with ‘Puducherry’ in the Order.

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