Parliament passes Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Parliament has passed Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016 so as to include certain communities in the list of Scheduled Castes (SC) from four states. 
•    The bill was introduced in the Parliament by Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.
•    These are the various states and casts to be added :
•    Chhattisgarh: Sais, Sahis, Sarathi, Soot-Sarathi, Thanwar communities. 
•    Haryana: Aheria, Aheri, Hari, Heri, Thori, Turi and Rai Sikh communities.
•    Kerala: Peruvannan community in the list and specification of Malayan community area has been modified. 
•    West Bengal: area restriction of Chain community removed.
•    Odisha: Exclusion of Bariki and Kummari communities.
•    Article 341 empowers Parliament to include or exclude castes from the list of Scheduled Castes in the notification. 
•    The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are official designations given to various groups of historically disadvantaged indigenous people in India. 
•    The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the various groups are designated in one or other of the categories. 
•    During the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes.