WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES
Background 16.1.1. In 1981, India had 105 million people belonging to Scheduled Castes, which constituted 15.75 per cent of the total population of the country. To this number should be added about 4.1 million neo- Buddhists specified as Scheduled Castes during 1990. The projected figure for 1991, assuming the same decadal increase as for the general population, would be 134.74 million. More than twenty per cent of the population in Punjab (26.87 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (24.62 per cent), West Bengal (21.99 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (21.16 per cent) belonged to the Scheduled Castes. Eight states, viz., Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Ra- jasthan and Karnataka, accounted for 77.5 per cent of the total Scheduled Caste population of the country in 1981.
16.1.2. The population of Scheduled Tribes was 53.8 million in 1981, constituting 7.8 per cent of the total population of the country. In Jammu & Kashmir, Scheduled Tribes were notified in October, 1989, their estimated population being about 0.8 million. The projected figure for 1991, assuming the same decadal increase as for the general population, would be 67.4 million. Majority of the population of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep are tribals. Madhya Pradesh(11.99 m), Orissa(5.92 m) and Bihar (5.81 m) accounted for about 46 per cent of the total tribal population of the country in 1981.
16.1.3. A number of Constitutional provisions exist for protection and promotion of the interests of these weaker sections. In conformity with the Directive Principles of State Policy, social justice has been an avowed goal of development. During the four decades of planning, a variety of programmes were launched with the objective of improving the socioeconomic condition of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. These measures have, no doubt, yielded results but not commensurate with the efforts or the needs of the target groups.
16.1.4. A specific sector of Backward Classes was included from the First Plan to cater to the special needs of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes. It was visualised that the general development programmes should be so designed as to take care of the needs of Backward Classes as well and the special provisions in the Backward Classes Sector would be additive, to be used, as far as possible, for meeting the special developmental needs of these groups. Unfortunately, this expectation was belied in most cases and the Back- ward Classes Sector provisions, instead of supplementing the general sectors of development, tended to supplant the general sector pro- visions. It was, in this context, that the concept of Tribal Sub-Plan was introduced during the Fifth Plan and Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes during the Sixth Plan to facilitate monitoring of development programmes for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Review of Seventh Plan and 1990 - 92 Plans 16.2.1 In the Seventh Plan, Special Component Plans for Scheduled Castes, Tribal Sub-Plans for Scheduled Tribes and specific schemes for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were implemented. At the end of the Plan, the Tribal Sub-Plan strategy was being implemented through 191 Integrated Tribal Development Projects, 268 pockets of tribal concentration (Modified Area Development Approach MADA), 74 clusters and 74 primitive tribal group projects. There was substantial increase in the flow of funds for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, resulting in expansion of infrastructural facilities and enlargement of coverage. There was limited involvement of Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes in the formulation and execution of programmes resulting in non-
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adaptability of schemes/policies to cater to their specific needs.
16.2.2 Emphasis was laid in the Seventh Plan on the educational development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Pre-matric sti- pends and scholarships were given by the State Governments to 190 lakhs Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Other Backward Class students. Other educational incentives included free supply of uniform, stationery and textbooks to about 100 lakh students. Post- matric scholarships were given to about 15 lakh Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students in 1991-92 as against 9.75 lakh scholarships in 1985-86 and only 1.56 lakh scholarships in 1968-69. These scholarships were given for study of post-matriculation/post secondary courses of study in arts, science, commerce, as well as professional and technical degree/diploma and certificate courses on the basis of a graded means test. For Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students studying in medical and engineering colleges, a scheme of book banks was started in 1978-79 which benefited about 21000 students in 1990- 91. Hostel facilities for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students were considerably expanded.
16.2.3 For the economic development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, two national level institutions were set up: (i) Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation in 1987 as an apex body for State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations; and (ii) National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, primarily to act as a catalytic agent in developing schemes for employment generation and financing pilot projects. The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe Development Corporations in the States continued to provide economic assistance for self- employment projects. Economic assistance was given to 118.82 lakh Scheduled Caste families and 52.76 lakh. Scheduled Tribe families under various programmes including IRDP. Margin money loan was disbursed to 22.56 lakh Scheduled Caste families through 21 State Scheduled Caste Development Corporations.
16.2.4 Special consideration was accorded to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families in the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), toe most important poverty alleviation programme in the country. The target of coverage of Scheduled Caste/Tribe benefici- aries in the Seventh Plan was 30 per cent of the total number of beneficiaries. However, the actual coverage was 32.05 per cent in the case of Scheduled Castes and 13.04 per cent in the case of Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries. A target of 50 per cent has been fixed for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries with effect from April 1990. Since 1990-91, Scheduled Caste beneficiaries are being treated at par with Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries for subsidy pur- poses, both getting 50 per cent subsidy subject upto a ceiling of Rs. 5000. Prior to 1990-91, the subsidy admissible to Scheduled Caste families was only 33 1/3 percent. In the wage employment programme of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, preference is given to Scheduled Castes/Sched- uled Tribes and freed bonded labourers. It has also been provided that at the village panchayat level, 15 per cent of the annual allocation must be spent on items of work which directly benefit the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Diversion of funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is not permitted.
16.2.5 To enhance the competitive ability of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, about 8,000 seats were created in 101 pre- examination training centres where coaching was given to candidates appearing in competitive examinations for entry into public services. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates have been able to increase their representation in Central Government Services and Public Sector Undertakings over the years, as seen from the Table 1, due mainly to implementation of reservation policy coupled with educational and coaching facilities.
16.2.6 For elimination of scavenging, about IO lakh service latrines in 490 towns in 19 States were taken up for conversion into pour flush latrines. Reports indicate that by the end of the Seventh Plan, 9.63 lakh dry latrines were converted, 14,529 scavengers rehabilitated and scavenging was eliminated from 40 towns.
16.2.7 The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 are the two important legislations to deal with untouchability offences and check commission of
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Table - 1 Percentage of Scheduled
Caste/Scheduled Tribe representation in
Central Government Services
Category Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes
1.1.71 1.1.91 1.1.71 1.1.91
Class I 2.58 9.09 0.41 2.53
Class II 4.06 11.82 0.43 2.35
Class III 9.59 15.65 1.70 4.98
Class IV 18.37 21.24 3.65 6.82
(excluding Sweepers)
Percentage of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled
Tribe representation in Public Sector
Undertakings
Category Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes
1971 1989 1971 1989
Class I 0.52 5.76 0.17 1.29
Class II 1.54 8.41 0.16 2.31
All 8.17 20.36 2.24 9.68
categories
(Separately for Cl.III & IV not available)
crimes on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Fiftyseven special courts for trial of offences under the Protection of Civil Rights Act have been set up in eight States. Similarly, for implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Schdeuled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations have specified existing District and Session's Courts as special courts for trial of offences under this Act. Exclusive special courts have also been set up in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Monetary relief and rehabilitation assistance were given to the victims of atrocities. Schemes to encourage inter-caste marriages and legal aid were implemented. Programmes were developed through the media, both formal and non-formal, against the evil practice of untouchability.
16.2.8. Details of outlays and expenditure for Special Component Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan and Backward Classes Sector during the Seventh Plan are given in Table 2.
Table - 2
(Rs. in crores)
Seventh Plan
Sl. Item
No. Outlay Expendi-
ture
A.Scheduled Castes
1. Flow from States Plan 7385.42 6916.92
to SCP*
2. Special Central 930.00 876.00
Assistance
B. Scheduled Tribes
1. Flow from States Plan 6216.76 7074.50
to TSP*
2.Special Central 756.00 847.00
Assistance
C. Backward Classes Sector -SCs/STs/OBCs
1. Centre/CSS 281.22 388.42**
2. States Sector 1239.33 1456.13
*include outlay/expnd under backward classes sector. Excluding share capital contribution of Rs. 50 crores to National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation.
** Includes grant -in-aid of Rs. 10 crores to Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation.
Current Status 16.3.1 A very large number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes continue to be socially and educationally backward and are languishing at the bottom of the social and economic pyramid. In rural areas, in 1987-88, the percentage of Scheduled Caste population below the poverty line was 44.7 and of Scheduled Tribe population 52.6, as compared to the All-India percentage of 33.4. The comparative
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picture in the incidence of poverty during the period 1977-78 to 1987- 88 is given below:
Table - 3
(In percentage)
Year Total Sch.Castes Sch.Tribes
Population
1977-78 51.2 64.6 72.4
1983-84 40.4 53.1 58.4
1987-88 33.4 44.7 52.6
16.3.2 Thus, while there has been a reduction in the percentage of population below the poverty line in the case of both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the incidence of poverty is still very high. Most of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families do not own land or other productive assets. They constitute bulk of agricultural landless workers, construction workers and workers in the unorganised sector. They suffer from long periods of unemployment and under- employment. They are also handicapped due to non-enforcement of protective laws such as the Minimum Wages Act and Prevention of Land Alienation Acts. Inequality and exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, particularly in the rural areas, whether in the form of bonded labour or in other forms, both latent and manifest, still continue. Poverty, ignorance, lack of options in employment opportunities and non- existence of organisations which can fight for their rights, facilitate the continuance of age old exploitation. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families have often not been able to derive the full benefit of development programmes. Wrong identification of beneficiaries, poor selection of projects, un- realistic and simplistic assumptions in regard to their viability, administrative costs, and leakages have been other problems which have been further compounded by a largely unresponsive administrative structure.
16.3.3 The dwindling resource base of the tribal people in the shape of loss of land, restriction on access to forest produce, and lack of opportunities for reasonable wage employment and usurious money lending have caused hardships to tribal people. Consequently, developmental inputs for the benefit of these people have had little impact. Significantly, development processes have interfered in many cases with traditional tribal institutional structure and ethos and have produced negative results. These were the contributory factors for dissatisfaction amongst tribal people and simmering unrest in some tribal areas.
16.3.4 The literacy rate amongst Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has no doubt increased over the years but the levels are still very low. The gap in literacy between Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the rest of the population has been increasing, as is evident from Table 4.
Table - 4
All India literacy rate of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(Percentage)
Scheduled Scheduled Rest of the Gap between rest of the
Castes Tribes population population and
Year Scheduled Scheduled
Castes Tribes
1961 10.27 8.53 27.86 17.59 19.33
1971 14.67 11.30 33.80 19.13 22.50
1981 21.38 16.35 41.22 19.84 24.87
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16.3.5 Variation in literacy rates among the different castes and the different tribes is also fairly pronounced. Among certain Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, the percentage of literacy in 1981 was below five per cent. There is also wide inter- State variation in literacy levels of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. For instance, in the case of Scheduled Castes, Kerala, according to the 1981 Census, had a literacy rate of 55.96 per cent, while Bihar had only 10.40 per cent. Likewise, in the case of Scheduled Tribes, Manipur had a literacy rate of 39.74 per cent while Andhra Pradesh had only 7.82 per cent. Among females, in both the categories, literacy rate is very low. In the case of Scheduled Castes it was 10.93 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes 8.04 per cent, in 1981.
16.3.6 A large number of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children discontinue their studies prematurely before completing the level for which they were enrolled. The dropout rate in 1986-87 for classes I-V was 50.79 in the case of Scheduled Castes and 66.12 in the case of Scheduled Tribes. In classes I to VIII, the dropout rates were as high as 69.15 per cent and 80.19 per cent respectively.
16.3.7 Untouchability stands abolished by virtue of Article 17 of the Constitution and its practice in any form is punishable. But social discrimination against Scheduled Castes still linger in many parts of the country. It is a matter of concern that inspite of legal measures in the form of Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, 76,748 cases of atrocities against persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and 17, 101 cases of atrocities against Scheduled Tribes were reported between 1986 and 1990. Of these, 3,328 cases were of murder, 5,339 of rape and 4,325 of arson.
16.3.8 The development process in many tribal areas, instead of providing succour, has been instrumental in causing numerous disadvan- tages, prominent among them being displacement and loss of land, the tribal's main resource base. Notwithstanding the fact that the State Governments have enacted laws/regulations to control/prohibit transfer of land to non-tribals, land alienation still continues.
16.3.9 While educational development programmes have widened the opportunities for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the number of job seekers among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has also increased. At the end of 1990, there were 44.53 lakh Scheduled Caste and 11.48 lakh Scheduled Tribe job seekers on the live register of Employment Exchanges as compared to 19.69 lakh and 5.54 lakh respectively in 1981. The number of placements during 1989 was only 0.47 lakh in the case of Scheduled Caste job seekers and 0. 27 lakh in the case of Scheduled Tribe job seekers.
Strategy for the Eighth Plan 16.4.1 In the nineties there has to be an intensification of efforts to bridge the gap in the levels of development of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and other sec- tions of the population so that by the turn of the century these disadvantaged sections of the population are brought on par with the rest of the society in all spheres of national endeavour. Problems of access for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to programmes and services have to be identified and removed. Elimination of exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and removal of all forms of oppression of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes must receive high priority. Untouchability, suppression of rights, usurious money lending, land alienation, non-payment of minimum wages, and restrictions on right to collect minor forest produce have to be removed to enable these people to avail of the benefits of development efforts.