Santhal Community
Tribal Identity and Constitutional Protections
The Santhals are the largest tribal group in India by population, spread across multiple eastern and northeastern states. Their constitutional and legal status is protected under several provisions of the Indian Constitution and special tribal legislation.
- Santhals are listed as Scheduled Tribes under Article 342; the President, in consultation with the state government, specifies Scheduled Tribes via a notified order.
- Major Santhal-populated states: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam.
- Santali language: recognised in the Eighth Schedule (92nd Constitutional Amendment, 2003); script is Ol Chiki, developed in 1925 by Raghunath Murmu.
- Article 46 (DPSP): The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- Fifth Schedule: Provides for administration and control of Scheduled Areas where tribal populations are significant (applicable in parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, etc.).
- The Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act, 1949 restricts non-tribals from acquiring tribal land in the Santhal Parganas region of Jharkhand.
● Tracked since March 07, 2026 · last seen March 07, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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