( 1 ) THE ten petitioners claiming to be Beda (Budaga) Jangamcommunity seek to declare the proceedings bearing No. RC. C5/9974/84 dated June 9, 1985 of the District Collector, Nellore holding that the petitioners are not Scheduled Caste within the meaning of Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes (Mod ification) Order 1950 as amended by Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act, 1976, to be null and void, offending their fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The basis thereof is that all the petitioners are beda (Budaga) Jangam Caste, which was recognised as a Scheduled Caste under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act 1976; they have applied to the District Collector for grant of social status certificates as Scheduled Caste: Beda budaga) and Mala Jangam communities are generally called Jangarna or Jangalu; they are gurus and spiritual heads of malas; they offici ate death ceremonies in the houses of Malas; they are also non-vegetarians; most of them eke out their livelihood by officiating death ceremonies and by reciting puranic stories, etc. , to the psople; when people like Sri P.