---
title: "Article 341 (Scheduled Castes): Meaning & Power"
description: "Article 341 lets the President notify Scheduled Castes for each State, with only Parliament able to amend the list. Key UPSC polity topic explained with cases."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/article-341-scheduled-castes"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Article 341 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to specify, by public notification, the castes, races, or tribes deemed Scheduled Castes for any State or Union Territory.
- Can a State government add a caste to the Scheduled Castes list under Article 341?
- How does Article 341 differ from Article 342A?
- Can Scheduled Castes be sub-classified for reservation purposes?
- Are the Presidential Orders under Article 341 open to judicial review of who qualifies?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 26 January 1950

   Located in Part XVI, which deals with special provisions relating to certain classes, the article was adopted by the Constituent Assembly and came into force…

2. 10 August 1950

   The first such instrument was the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, promulgated by the President on , which laid down the original schedule of cas…

3. 1 August 2024

   Davinder Singh (), in which a seven-judge Constitution Bench held that States may sub-classify Scheduled Castes for the purpose of providing more focused res…

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Example

In October 2022 the Union government, invoking the framework of Article 341, constituted a commission under former Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan to examine whether Dalit converts to Christianity and Islam could be recognised as Scheduled Castes.

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