Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes explained

The Scheduled Castes[1] and Scheduled Tribes are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India.[2] The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designated in one or other of the categories. For much of the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes.

In modern literature, many castes under the Scheduled Castes category are sometimes referred to as Dalit, meaning "broken" or "dispersed" for the untouchables.[3] [4] The term having been popularised by the Dalit leader B. R. Ambedkar during the independence struggle. Ambedkar preferred the term Dalit over Gandhi's term Harijan, meaning "people of Hari" . Similarly, the Scheduled Tribes are often referred to as Adivasi (earliest inhabitants), Vanvasi (inhabitants of forest) and Vanyajati (people of forest). However, the Government of India refrains from using derogatory and anthropologically incorrect terms. Instead, it uses the terms Anusuchit Jati and Anusuchit Janjati, as defined by the Constitution of India, for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.[5] [6] In September 2018, the government "issued an advisory to all private satellite channels asking them to refrain from using the derogatory nomenclature 'Dalit', though rights groups and intellectuals have come out against any shift from 'Dalit' in popular usage".[7]

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes comprise about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population (according to the 2011 census).[8] [9] The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 lists 1,108 castes across 28 states in its First Schedule,[10] and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule.[11]

Since the independence of India, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were given Reservation status, guaranteeing political representation, preference in promotion, quota in universities, free and stipended education, scholarships, banking services, various government schemes and the Constitution lays down the general principles of positive discrimination for SCs and STs.[12] [13]

Definition

Scheduled CastesAs per Article 366 (24) of Constitution of India the Scheduled Castes is defined as:[14]
Scheduled TribesAs per Article 366 (25) of Constitution of India the Scheduled Tribes is defined as:[15] [14]

Identification and procedures

Article 341

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union Territory and where it is a State after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union Territory, as the case may be.

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Castes specified in a notification issued under clause of any caste, race or tribe or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.[14]

Article 342

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union Territory and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purpose of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union Territory, as the case may be.

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.[14]

In a broader sense, the term 'Scheduled' refers to the legal list of specific castes and tribes of the states and union territories, as enacted in the Constitution of India, with the purpose of social justice by ensuring social security, and providing adequate representation in education, employment, and governance to promote their upliftment and integration into mainstream society.[16] [17] [18] The process of including and excluding communities, castes, or tribes to/from the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes adheres to certain silent criteria and procedures established by the Lokur committee in 1965.[19] [20] For Scheduled Castes (SCs), the criteria involve extreme social, educational, and economic backwardness resulting from the practice of untouchability. On the other hand, Scheduled Tribes (STs) are identified based on indications of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the larger community, and overall backwardness.[21] The scheduling process refers back to the definitions of communities used in the colonial census along with modern anthropological study and is guided by Article 341 and 342. Per the first clause of Article 341 and 342, the list of Scheduled communities is subject to specific state and union territory, with area restrictions to districts, subdistricts, and tehsils.[22] [23] [24] [25] Furthermore, members of Scheduled Communities are entitled based on religious criteria: Scheduled Castes must be adherents of Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism,[26] whereas Scheduled Tribes can belong to any religion to be recognized as Scheduled.[27] [16]

History

The evolution of the lower caste into the modern-day Scheduled Castes is complex. The caste system as a stratification of classes in India originated about 2,000 years ago, and has been influenced by dynasties and ruling elites, including the Mughal Empire and the British Raj.[28] [29] The Hindu concept of Varna historically incorporated occupation-based communities.[28] Some low-caste groups, such as those formerly called untouchables[30] who constitute modern-day Scheduled Castes, were considered outside the Varna system.[31] [32]

Since the 1850s, these communities were loosely referred to as Depressed Classes, with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The early 20th century saw a flurry of activity in the British authorities assessing the feasibility of responsible self-government for India. The Morley–Minto Reforms Report, Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Report and the Simon Commission were several initiatives in this context. A highly contested issue in the proposed reforms was the reservation of seats for representation of the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislatures.[33]

In 1935, the UK Parliament passed the Government of India Act 1935, designed to give Indian provinces greater self-rule and set up a national federal structure. The reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into the act, which came into force in 1937. The Act introduced the term "Scheduled Castes", defining the group as "such castes, parts of groups within castes, 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".[34] 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, giving (via articles 341 and 342) the president of India and governors of the states a mandate to compile a full listing of castes and tribes (with the power to edit it later, as required). The complete list of castes and tribes was made via two orders: The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950[35] and The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950,[36] respectively. Which are derived from colonial list and first updated in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lists (Modification) Order, 1956. Furthermore, independent India's quest for inclusivity was incident through the appointment of B. R. Ambedkar as the chairman of the drafting committee for the Constitution. Ambedkar was a scheduled caste constitutional lawyer, a member of the low caste.[37] After 15 years since the first amendment listing Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the government adopted updated criteria for inclusion and exclusion based on the Lokur committee report of 1965.

Demographics

Population

States wise population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 2011 census[38] [39]
State and Union Territories Total population of the State and Union Territories Scheduled CastesScheduled Tribes
No. of notified communities[40]
Total population Pct. of Total Scheduled Castes Pct. of State and UT population No. of notified communities
Total population Pct. of Total Scheduled Tribes Pct. of State and UT population
Andhra Pradesh (incl. Telangana) 84,580,777 AP: 61
TN: 59
13,878,078 6.89 16.41 AP: 34
TN: 32
5,918,073 5.66 7
Arunachal Pradesh1,383,727 0 16 951,821 0.91 68.79
Assam31,205,576 16 2,231,321 1.11 7.15 29 3,884,371 3.72 12.45
Bihar104,099,452 23 16,567,325 8.23 15.91 32 1,336,573 1.28 1.28
25,545,198 44 3,274,269 1.63 12.82 42 7,822,902 7.48 30.62
1,458,545 5 25,449 0.01 1.74 8 149,275 0.14 10.23
60,439,692 36 4,074,447 2.02 6.74 32 8,917,174 8.53 14.75
25,351,462 37 5,113,615 2.54 20.17 0
6,864,602 57 1,729,252 0.86 25.19 10 392,126 0.38 5.71
32,988,134 22 3,985,644 1.98 12.08 32 8,645,042 8.27 26.21
61,095,297 101 10,474,992 5.2 17.15 50 4,248,987 4.06 6.95
33,406,061 69 3,039,573 1.51 9.1 43 484,839 0.46 1.45
72,626,809 48 11,342,320 5.63 15.62 46 15,316,784 14.65 21.09
112,374,333 59 13,275,898 6.59 11.81 47 10,510,213 10.05 9.35
2,855,794 7 97,328 0.05 3.41 34 1,167,422 1.12 40.88
2,966,889 16 17,355 0.01 0.58 17 2,555,861 2.44 86.15
1,097,206 16 1,218 0 0.11 15 1,036,115 0.99 94.43
1,978,502 0 5 1,710,973 1.64 86.48
41,974,218 95 7,188,463 3.57 17.13 62 9,590,756 9.17 22.85
27,743,338 39 8,860,179 4.4 31.94 0
68,548,437 59 12,221,593 6.07 17.83 12 9,238,534 8.84 13.48
610,577 4 28,275 0.01 4.63 4 206,360 0.2 33.8
72,147,030 76 14,438,445 7.17 20.01 36 794,697 0.76 1.1
3,673,917 34 654,918 0.33 17.83 19 1,166,813 1.12 31.76
199,812,341 66 41,357,608 20.54 20.7 15 1,134,273 1.08 0.57
10,086,292 65 1,892,516 0.94 18.76 5 291,903 0.28 2.89
91,276,115 60 21,463,270 10.66 23.51 40 5,296,953 5.07 5.8
Andaman and Nicobar Islands380,581 0 6 28,530 0.03 7.5
Chandigarh1,055,450 36 199,086 0.1 18.86 0
Dadra and Nagar Haveli343,709 4 6,186 0 1.8 7 178,564 0.17 51.95
Daman and Diu243,247 5 6,124 0 2.52 5 15,363 0.01 6.32
Jammu and Kashmir12,541,302 13 924,991 0.46 7.38 12 1,493,299 1.43 11.91
Lakshadweep64,473 0 61,120 0.06 94.8
Delhi16,787,941 36 2,812,309 1.4 16.75 0
Puducherry1,247,953 16 196,325 0.1 15.73 0
India 1,210,854,977 1,284 201,378,372 100 16.63 747 104,545,716 100 8.63

Religion

States and Union Territories !! colspan="3"
Scheduled Caste !Scheduled Tribe
Hindu Sikh Buddhist Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Jain Religion not stated
Andhra Pradesh (incl. Telangana)13,848,473 2,053 27,552 5,808,126 28,586 57,280 890 608 644 810 21,129
97,629 3,567 389,507 245 96,391 441 358,663 5,378
2,229,445 1,335 541 3,349,772 13,188 495,379 387 7,667 424 12,039 5,515
16,563,145 1,595 2,585 1,277,870 11,265 32,523 150 252 123 10,865 3,525
3,208,726 1,577 63,966 6,933,333 8,508 385,041 620 1,078 312 488,097 5,913
25,265 7 177 99,789 531 48,783 20 62 18 12 60
4,062,061 1,038 11,348 8,747,349 34,619 120,777 1,262 1,000 1,266 3,412 7,489
4,906,560 204,805 2,250
1,709,634 15,939 3,679 307,914 37,208 275 294 45,998 54 23 360
3,983,629 669 1,346 3,245,856 18,107 1,338,175 984 2,946 381 4,012,622 25,971
10,418,989 2,100 53,903 4,171,265 44,599 12,811 802 472 1,152 665 17,221
3,039,057 291 225 431,155 18,320 32,844 42 44 18 376 2,040
11,140,007 2,887 199,426 14,589,855 33,305 88,548 1,443 1,796 852 584,338 16,647
8,060,130 11,484 5,204,284 10,218,315 112,753 20,335 2,145 20,798 1,936 93,646 40,285
97,238 39 51 8,784 4,296 1,137,318 209 2,326 288 11,174 3,027
16,718 528 109 122,141 10,012 2,157,887 301 6,886 254 251,612 6,768
1,102 9 107 5,920 4,209 933,302 62 91,054 343 751 474
15,035 5,462 1,680,424 175 4,901 500 3,096 1,380
7,186,698 825 940 8,271,054 15,335 816,981 1,019 1,959 448 470,267 13,693
3,442,305 5,390,484 27,390
11,999,984 214,837 6,772 9,190,789 13,340 25,375 663 445 622 1,376 5,924
28,016 15 244 40,340 369 16,899 72 1,36,041 125 12,306 208
14,435,679 1,681 1,085 783,942 2,284 7,222 84 50 45 55 1,015
654,745 69 104 888,790 2,223 153,061 250 1,19,894 318 768 1,509
41,192,566 27,775 137,267 1,099,924 21,735 1,011 264 353 410 2,404 8,172
1,883,611 7,989 916 287,809 1,847 437 364 1,142 7 9 288
21,454,358 3,705 5,207 3,914,473 30,407 343,893 1,003 220,963 876 774,450 10,888
156 1,026 26,512 0 85 0 344 407
176,283 22,659 144
6,047 0 139 175,305 242 2,658 15 12 4 54 274
6082 1 41 15,207 125 16 0 1 1 0 13
913,507 11,301 183 67,384 1,320,408 1,775 665 100,803 137 1,170 957
44 61,037 3 4 2 10 4 16
2,780,811 25,934 5,564
196,261 33 31
India 189,667,132 5,953,664 5,757,576 84,165,325 1,858,913 10,327,052 14,434 866,029 12,009 7,095,408 206,546

Government initiative to improve the situation of SCs and STs

To effectively implement the safeguards built into the Constitution and other legislation, the Constitution under Articles 338 and 338A provides for two constitutional commissions: the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,[41] and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.[42] The chairpersons of both commissions sit ex officio on the National Human Rights Commission.

The Constitution provides a three-pronged strategy[43] to improve the situation of SCs and STs:

Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan

The Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) of 1979 mandated a planning process for the social, economic and educational development of Scheduled Castes and improvement in their working and living conditions. It was an umbrella strategy, ensuring the flow of targeted financial and physical benefits from the general sector of development to the Scheduled Castes.[47] It entailed a targeted flow of funds and associated benefits from the annual plan of states and Union Territories (UTs) in at least a proportion to the national SC population. Twenty-seven states and UTs with sizable SC populations are implementing the plan. Although the Scheduled Castes population according to the 2001 Census was 16.66 crores (16.23% of the total population), the allocations made through SCSP have been lower than the proportional population.[48] A strange factor has emerged of extremely lowered fertility of scheduled castes in Kerala, due to land reform, migrating (Kerala Gulf diaspora) and democratization of education.[49]

Issues in policy and implementation

Constitutional history

In the original Constitution, Article 338 provided for a special officer (the Commissioner for SCs and STs) responsible for monitoring the implementation of constitutional and legislative safeguards for SCs and STs and reporting to the president. Seventeen regional offices of the Commissioner were established throughout the country.

There was an initiative to replace the Commissioner with a committee in the 48th Amendment to the Constitution, changing Article 338. While the amendment was being debated, the Ministry of Welfare established the first committee for SCs and STs (with the functions of the Commissioner) in August 1978. These functions were modified in September 1987 to include advising the government on broad policy issues and the development levels of SCs and STs. Now it is included in Article 342.

In 1990, Article 338 was amended for the National Commission for SCs and STs with the Constitution (Sixty fifth Amendment) Bill, 1990.[50] The first commission under the 65th Amendment was constituted in March 1992, replacing the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the commission established by the Ministry of Welfare's Resolution of 1989. In 2003, the Constitution was again amended to divide the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes into two commissions: the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Due to the spread of Christianity and Islam among scheduled caste communities, the converted individuals are not protected under the Indian Reservation policy. Hence, these societies usually forge their community certificate as Hindus and practice Christianity or Islam, afraid for their loss of reservation.[51]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scheduled Caste Welfare – List of Scheduled Castes . Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment . 16 August 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120913050030/http://socialjustice.nic.in/sclist.php . 13 September 2012 .
  2. Web site: Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribes. dead. 2021-11-21. United Nations in India. 22 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211122121505/https://in.one.un.org/task-teams/scheduled-castes-and-scheduled-tribes/.
  3. Web site: Why Dalits want to hold on to Dalit, not Harijan, not SC. September 5, 2018. The Indian Express. Adrija. Roychowdhury. 29 November 2021. 29 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211129082823/https://indianexpress.com/article/research/dalit-scheduled-caste-information-and-broadcasting-media-5341220/. live.
  4. Web site: Dalit. . Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary . 6 October 2022 . 6 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006000621/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dalit . live .
  5. Web site: Bali . Surya . 2018-10-26 . We are 'Scheduled Tribes', not 'Adivasis' . 2023-12-05 . Forward Press . en-US.
  6. Dasgupta . Sangeeta . October 2018 . Adivasi studies: From a historian's perspective . History Compass . en . 16 . 10 . 10.1111/hic3.12486 . 1478-0542.
  7. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/union-minister-stick-to-sc-avoid-the-term-dalit/articleshow/65678197.cms Union minister: Stick to SC, avoid the term 'Dalit'
  8. Web site: 2011 Census Primary Census Abstract . Censusindia.gov.in . 1 October 2017 . 5 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805215732/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/hlo/pca/pca_pdf/PCA-CRC-0000.pdf . live .
  9. News: Half of India's dalit population lives in 4 states. The Times of India. 2 May 2013. 1 October 2017. 11 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111212254/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Half-of-Indias-dalit-population-lives-in-4-states/articleshow/19827757.cms. live.
  10. Web site: Text of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, as amended. Lawmin.nic.in. 1 October 2017. 19 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090619082941/http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule3a.htm. dead.
  11. Web site: Text of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, as amended. Lawmin.nic.in. 1 October 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170920212634/http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule9a.htm. 20 September 2017.
  12. Web site: Reserved uncertainty or deserved certainty? Reservation debate back in Mysuru. The New Indian Express. 17 February 2020. K Shiva. Kumar. 29 November 2021. 21 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211121184123/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/feb/17/reserved-uncertainty-or-deserved-certainty-reservation-debate-back-in-mysuru-2104413.html. live.
  13. Web site: THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA [As on 9th December, 2020]]. Legislative Department. 29 November 2021. 26 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126153125/https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/COI_1.pdf. live.
  14. Web site: Chapter- II, Social Constitutional Provisions for Protection and Development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes . ncsc.nic.in .
  15. Web site: Chapter III . dopt.gov.in . 5 December 2022 . 5 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221205103652/https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/ch-11.pdf . live .
  16. Book: Brochure on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Services . 8th . Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India . 1993 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615214547/https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/BROCHURE_Reservation_SCST_In_Service_1993.pdf . 15 June 2024 . live . 12 August 2024 .
  17. Reservation Brochure. https://web.archive.org/web/20240209202017/https://dpe.gov.in/sites/default/files/Reservation_Brochure-2.pdf. 9 February 2024. 12 August 2024. live.
  18. Web site: Reservation Is About Adequate Representation, Not Poverty Eradication . 2024-01-26 . The Wire.
  19. News: 2023-01-11 . Office of Registrar-General of India follows 'obsolete' criteria for scheduling of tribes . en-IN . The Hindu . live . 2023-06-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404143600/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/office-of-registrar-general-of-india-follows-obsolete-criteria-for-scheduling-of-tribes/article66364958.ece . 4 April 2023 . 0971-751X.
  20. Web site: Centre Still Employs 'Obsolete' Criteria to Categorise Groups Under ST Lists: Report . 2024-02-02 . The Wire.
  21. Inclusion Into SC List. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. 24 February 2015. 2023-06-17 .
  22. Web site: FAQ : National Commission for Scheduled Tribes . 2023-06-17 . ncst.nic.in.
  23. Bodhi . Sainkupar Ranee . Darokar . Shaileshkumar S. . 2023-11-09 . Becoming a Scheduled Tribe in India: The History, Process and Politics of Scheduling . Contemporary Voice of Dalit . en . 10.1177/2455328X231198720 . 2455-328X.
  24. Report on the high level committee on socio-economic, health and educational status of tribal communities of India . Xaxa . Virginius . Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. May 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240202064504/https://archive.nyu.edu/handle/2451/36746 . 2 February 2024 . 2 February 2024 . 2451/36746.
  25. Web site: Khanna . Gyanvi . 2024-02-21 . Schedule Tribe Member Migrating To Another State/UT Can't Claim ST Status If Tribe Isn't Notified As ST In That State/UT : Supreme Court . 2024-05-16 . www.livelaw.in . en.
  26. Web site: 2022-10-16 . VHP opposes SC status to religious converts who were 'historically' SCs . 2024-07-02 . India Today . en.
  27. Reservation for Dalit Christians . 16 March 2016 . Press Information Bureau, Government of India; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions . 2 July 2024.
  28. News: What is India's caste system?. 20 July 2017. 6 April 2019. 4 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191004042908/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616. live.
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  34. Web site: Scheduled Communities: A social Development profile of SC/ST's (Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal). Planning Commission (India). 1 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20191020195415/http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/sereport/ser/stdy_scmnty.pdf. October 20, 2019.
  35. Web site: THE CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED CASTES) ORDER, 1950. lawmin.nic.in. 28 January 2008. 19 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090619082941/http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule3a.htm. dead.
  36. Web site: 1. THE CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED TRIBES). lawmin.nic.in. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170920212634/http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule9a.htm. 20 September 2017.
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