Scheduled castes ( S. C. )

Scheduled Castes ("SC"s) and Scheduled Tribes ("ST"s) are Indian population groupings that are explicitly recognized by the Constitution of India, previously called the "depressed classes" by the British, and otherwise known as untouchables. SCs/STs together comprise over 24% of India's population, with SC at over 16% and ST over 8% [1] as per the 2001 Census. The proportion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the population of India has steadily risen since independence in 1947.

Some Scheduled Castes in India are also known as Dalits Some Scheduled Tribe people are also referred to as Adivasis.



History



From the 1850s these communities were loosely referred to as the "Depressed Classes". The early part of the 20th century saw a flurry of activity in the British Raj to assess the feasibility of responsible self-government for India. The Morley-Minto Reforms Report, Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Report, and the Simon Commission were some of the initiatives that happened in this context. One of the hotly contested issues in the proposed reforms was the topic of reservation of seats for the "Depressed" Classes in provincial and central legislatures.

In 1935 the British passed The Government of India Act 1935, designed to give Indian provinces greater self-rule and set up a national federal structure. Reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into the act, which came into force in 1937. The Act brought the term "Scheduled Castes" into use, and defined the group as including "such castes, races or tribes or parts of groups within castes, races or tribes, which appear to His Majesty in Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly known as the 'Depressed Classes', as His Majesty in Council may prefer." This discretionary definition was clarified in The Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936 which contained a list, or Schedule, of castes throughout the British administered provinces.

After independence, the Constituent Assembly continued the prevailing definition of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and gave (via articles 341, 342) the President of India and Governors of states responsibility to compile a full listing of castes and tribes, and also the power to edit it later as required. The actual complete listing of castes and tribes was made via two orders The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950[4], and The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950[5] respectively.





National Commissions



To effectively implement the various safeguards built into the Constitution and other legislations, the Constitution, under Articles 338 and 338A, provides for two statutory commissions - the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

[edit]History

In the original Constitution, Article 338 provided for a Special Officer, called the Commissioner for SCs and STs, to have the responsibility of monitoring the effective implementation of various safeguards for SCs/STs in the Constitution as well as other related legislations and to report to the President. To enable efficient discharge of duties, 17 regional offices of the Commissioner were set up all over the country.

In the meanwhile there was persistent representation for a replacement of the Commissioner with a multi-member committee. It was proposed that the 48th Amendment to the Constitution be made to alter Article 338 to enable said proposal. While the amendment was being debated, the Ministry of Welfare issued an administrative decision to establish the Commission for SCs/STs as a multi-member committee to discharge the same functions as that of the Commissioner of SCs/STs. The first commission came into being in August 1978. The functions of the commission were modified in September 1987 to advise Government on broad policy issues and levels of development of SCs/STs.



It was not until 1990 that the Article 338 was finally amended to give birth to the statutory National Commission for SCs and STs via the Constitution (Sixty fifth Amendment) Bill, 1990[7]. The first Commission under the 65th Amendment was constituted in March 1992 replacing the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the Commission set up under the Ministry of Welfare's Resolution of 1987.

In 2002, the Constitution was again amended to split the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes into two separate commissions - the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes



Distribution



Sachar Committee report of 2006 revealed that scheduled castes and tribes of India are not limited to the religion of Hinduism. The 61st Round Survey of the NSSO found that almost nine-tenths of the Buddhists and one-third of the Sikhs in India belonged to the notified scheduled castes of the Constitution while one-third of the Christians belonged to the notified scheduled tribes of the Constitution.



Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP)



The strategy of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) which was evolved in 1979 is one of the most important interventions through the planning process for social, economic and educational development of Scheduled Castes and for improvement in their working and living conditions. It is an umbrella strategy to ensure flow of targeted financial and physical benefits from all the general sectors of development for the benefit of Scheduled Castes. Under this strategy, States/UTs and Central Ministries are required to formulate and implement Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) as part of their Annual Plans by earmarking resources in proportion to their share in total population[8]. It entails targeted flow of funds and associated benefits from the annual plan of States/ Union Territories (UTs) at least in proportion to the SC population i.e. 16 % in the total population of the country/the particular state. Presently, 27 States/UTs having sizeable SC populations are implementing Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan. Although the Scheduled Castes population, according to 2001 Census, was 16.66 crores constituting 16.23% of the total population of India, the allocations made through SCSP in recent years have been much lower than the population proportion. Table below provides the details of total State Plan Outlay, flow to Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) as reported by the State/UT Governments for the last few years especially since the present UPA government is in power at the centre[9].



The List of Scheduled Castes (S.C.)

1	Adi Dharmi	28	Gavaria
2	Aheri	29	Godhi
3	Badi	30	Jingar
4	Bagri, Bagdi	31	Kalbelia, Sapera
5	Bairwa, Berwa	32	Kamad, Kamadia
6	Bajgar	33	Kanjar, Kunjar
7	Balai	34	Kapadia Sansi
8	Bansphor, Bansphod	35	Khangar
9	Baori	36	Khatik
10	Bargi, Vargi, Birgi	37	Koli, Kori
11	Bawaria	38	Kooch Band, Kuchband
12	Bedia, Beria	39	Koria
13	Bhand	40	Madari, Bazigar
14	Bhangi, Chura, Mehtar, Olgana,	41	Mahar, Taral, Dhegumegu
	Rukhi, Malkana, Halalkhor,	42	Mahayavanshi,Dhed, Dheda,
	Lalbegi, Balmiki, Valmiki, Korar,		Vankar, Maru Vankar
	Zadmalli	43	Majhabi
15	Bidakia	44	Mang, Matang, Minimadig
16	Bola	45	Mang Garodi, Mang Garudi
17	Chamar, Bhambhi, Bambhi, Bhambi, Ranigar,	46	Megh, Meghval, Meghwal,
	Jatia, Jatav, Jatava, Mochi, Raidas, Rohidas,		Menghvar
	Regar, Raigar, Ramdasia, Asadaru, Asodi,Rohit,	47	Mehar
	Chamadia, Chambhar, Chamgar, Haralayya, Samgar	48	Nat, Nut
	Harali, Khalpa, Machigai, Mochigar, Majar,Madig,Telugu	49	Pasi
	Mochi, Kamati Mochi	50	Rawal
		51	Salvi
18	Chandal	52	Sansi
19	Dabgar	53	Santia, Satia
20	Dhanak, Dhanuk	54	Sarbhangi
21	Dhankia	55	Sargara
22	Dhobi	56	Singiwala
23	Dholi	57	Thori, Nayak
24	Dome, Dom	58	Tirgar, Tirbanda
25	Gandia	59	Turi