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Article 341

Part XVI — Special Provisions relating to Certain Classes · Constitution of India

Article 341

Scheduled Castes. (1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State , after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case may be. (2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Castes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any caste, race or tribe or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

In plain wordsWho officially counts as a Scheduled Caste is decided state by state. The President notifies the list after consulting the Governor, and after that only Parliament, not any state government, can add or remove a community. This list controls who qualifies for SC reservations and protections.
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