CHENNAI: Students and job aspirants of Narikuravar and Kuruvikarar communities, holding Most Backward Caste (MBC) certificates, can now change them to Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates.
The revenue department has started issuing ST certificates to the members of both the communities recently. The move follows the Union government’s decision to grant ST status to the two semi-nomadic communities in September last.
Sources from the revenue department told TNIE the TNeSevai portal https://www.tnesevai.tn.gov.in/ has now been enabled for applying ST certificates for the Narikuravar and Kuruvikarar communities. A G.O. in this regard was issued last month.
KC Murugesan, a tribal rights activist in Kancheepuram said, “The current reservation of 1% for STs needs to be revised so as to be proportional to their population. To enhance the quota, the government should conduct a population census.”