Goa Gets First-Ever ST Assembly Reservation With Four Seats Reserved

In a significant step towards inclusive political representation, the Union Government has brought into force the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025, enabling Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly for the first time. The notification, issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, came into effect on August 6, 2026, paving the way for four of the state's 40 Assembly constituencies to be reserved for ST candidates ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled in early 2027.

The legislation marks the end of a long-standing anomaly in Goa's electoral system. Although Scheduled Tribes constitute 10.23% of Goa's population, according to the 2011 Census, the state had remained the only major state with a sizable tribal population but without political reservation for STs in its Assembly. With the new law reserving 10% of Assembly seats, the representation now closely matches the community's demographic share, fulfilling the constitutional principle of proportionate political representation under Article 332, which provides for reservation of Assembly seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The move follows years of demand from tribal organisations and political leaders after the Kunbi, Gawda and Velip communities were granted Scheduled Tribe status in 2003. Despite the recognition, Assembly constituencies were never readjusted to reflect the demographic change, leaving the tribal community without reserved political representation for more than two decades.

Welcoming the notification, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who had recently urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the process, described the implementation as "a promise kept" and said it delivered long-overdue justice to Goa's tribal communities. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for ensuring the Act became operational before the next Assembly election. BJP MLA Govind Gaude, a prominent tribal leader who campaigned for the measure, called it a "big victory of the social justice movement", saying the struggle had finally translated into constitutional representation.

Goa's reservation framework will now more closely reflect its social composition. While SCs account for 1.74% of the state's population and already have one reserved Assembly seat, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) continue to have no political reservation in the Assembly, as the Constitution provides legislative reservation only for SCs and STs. OBC reservation in Goa remains limited to education, government employment and local self-government institutions.

The Goa law does not introduce a new reservation model but aligns the state with the constitutional practice followed across India. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Assam and Tripura already reserve Assembly constituencies for Scheduled Tribes broadly in proportion to their population. Goa now joins that framework by extending similar political safeguards to its tribal communities.

The notification does not immediately identify the four constituencies that will be reserved. The constituencies will be determined through the statutory readjustment process based on Scheduled Tribe population data, after which the Election Commission of India will notify the revised list of Assembly constituencies. The Act also does not mandate reservation in the State Cabinet, where ministers will continue to be appointed by the Chief Minister. However, the presence of at least four ST legislators in the Assembly is expected to strengthen the community's voice in policymaking and governance, making the legislation a significant milestone in Goa's pursuit of social justice and equitable political representation.