Shillong, Oct 04: A petition was submitted to Shri James P.K. Sangma, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Meghalaya, on October 3, 2026, in Shillong, by Shri John F. Kharshiing, Co-Chairman, Meghalaya State Planning Board and Chairman, Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya, urging him to pursue the long-pending demand by the Scheduled Tribes of India for amendment of Articles 338 and 338A of the Constitution of India.
The petition draws attention to the recommendations of the combined SC &ST Commission of 1997 -1998, and follow-up representations and petitions submitted by tribal organisations and representatives since 2010, 2012 and 2015, seeking a time-bound constitutional mechanism for placing the reports of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) before Parliament, together with the corresponding Action Taken Reports.
The demand is strongly supported by the recommendation of the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in its 1997–98 Report, which stated:
“Reports of the Commission should be placed before each House of Parliament within three months of its submission to the President and the Action Taken Report placed before the Parliament within six months of its submission. This may be done by suitably amending the clauses of Articles 338.”
Shri Kharshiing apprised Shri James P.K. Sangma of the earlier meetings and submissions made in 2015 with the Union Minister, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, and the then Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Despite these representations, no effective legislative initiative was undertaken to amend Articles 338 and 338A to prescribe a time limit for laying the Commission’s reports before Parliament.
The petition also highlighted the constitutional obligation under Article 338A, particularly the requirement that NCST reports submitted to the President be laid before Parliament along with a Memorandum indicating the action taken or proposed to be taken on the Commission’s recommendations.
It was pointed out that the current status of NCST reports continues to show several reports as “Yet to be laid” before one or both Houses of Parliament, raising serious concerns regarding parliamentary accountability and the effective implementation of constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes.
Shri Kharshiing emphasised that the issue is not merely a matter concerning Meghalaya but affects all Scheduled Tribes across India. The absence of a prescribed time frame for laying NCST reports effectively weakens the accountability mechanism envisaged under Article 338A.
During the meeting, Shri James P.K. Sangma, MP, was apprised of the long history of the matter and the petitions submitted since 2010-2015. He assured Shri Kharshiing that he would seek the details and status of the matter and revert, recognising that it is a serious constitutional issue with implications for the rights and safeguards of Scheduled Tribes throughout the country.
The petition urged the Hon’ble MP to initiate appropriate parliamentary and legislative efforts to suitably amend Articles 338 and 338A, in keeping with the recommendation of the erstwhile combined SC & ST Commission, so that the reports and Action Taken Reports concerning Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are placed before Parliament within a clearly defined and time-bound period.
