In a major win for Goa’s tribal communities, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) passed a Bill to finally provide reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state Assembly. The move comes after years of demands and delays, and despite a noisy Parliament session disrupted by Opposition protests over unrelated issues, the Bill was cleared by voice vote.
The legislation—The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025, points to a growing imbalance in Goa’s population figures. According to the 2011 census, Goa had over 1.49 lakh people from ST communities compared to just 25,449 from Scheduled Castes (SCs). Yet, until now, only one Assembly seat was reserved—and that too, for SCs. “A peculiar situation has arisen,” the Bill noted, highlighting how STs had no political representation in the 40-member House despite forming a larger chunk of the population.
Reacting to the development, South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes called it a “historic moment” for Goa and its tribal communities. “Our ST brothers and sisters have waited far too long for this day,” he said. “This is not just about politics—it’s about dignity, inclusion, and justice.”
Fernandes also thanked the central government for finally pushing the Bill through, adding that this must not be the end of the conversation. “Reservation is just the beginning,” he said. “We now need to focus on education, opportunities, and real empowerment for our tribal communities.”
“I congratulate the ST community of Goa. There is very good news. The bill for reservation, known as readjustment and reorganisation — has been introduced. But more importantly, it fulfils the aspiration and long-standing demand of the ST community of Goa. They will now get 10% reservation in the upcoming Assembly elections.
I feel very proud and happy that on 2nd August 2024, on the floor of Parliament, I raised this demand for the reservation of the ST community , a key part of the Congress manifesto during the Lok Sabha elections.