Strategy for the Eighth Plan 16.18. 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 sections of the popula- tion 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 of 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 benefit of development efforts.
16.19. Problems of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have to be tackled by suitable streamlining of the mechanism of planning and implementation of programmes of Special Component Plan, Tribal Sub- Plan, and the schemes specifically targetted for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The strategy of Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub-Plan will be reviewed inter-alia to make them effective instruments of planning to ensure real and tangible flow of benefits to the target group, both individuals and families.
16.20. Re-orientation of administrative structure at all levels for functional coordination, integration and effective delivery of serv- ices will be necessary. There is considerable inter-caste and inter- tribe variation in the levels of socio-economic development of Sched- uled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and in the social and economic
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organisation of their life. It is essential that planning gives full cognizance to these variations and responds to their specific problems and needs and the socio-cultural values of the community through decentralised participatory planning.
16.21. Alleviation of poverty through sustained employment and genera- tion of incomes is vital so that at least the basic needs are met. National poverty alleviation programmes will have to ensure that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are able to derive adequate benefit. Skill development programmes will be necessary to improve their earnings and help them to diversify into trades and occupations. It will also be necessary to provide assistance to Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the matter of choice of projects, marketing, procurement of raw materials, and introduction of new technologies.
16.22 Elimination of scavenging and rehabilitation of scavengers will be an important programme in the Eighth Plan. Education, training and other incentives will be provided to children of parents engaged in unclean occupations so that they can prepare themselves for occupa- tions which provide better incomes and a higher social status. Occupa- tions like tanning and leather work would be modernised with improved technology to remove the stigma attached to these professions and to produce goods which have a better market.
16.23 A national policy on rehabilitation of people displayed by large development projects will need to be evolved. It is important that project authorities give as much attention to this aspect as to the projects themselves and ensure that full rehabilitation is completed before or by the time the projects become operational. Rights and concessions of the tribals in forests should be codified and the Forest Policy implemented in letter and spirit to maintain the symbi- otic relationship between the tribals and the forests.
16.24 Women belonging to the Scheduled Casts and Scheduled Tribes are in a far worse situation by all development indicators. Poverty and deprivation affect them more adversely. Although they work along with men, they are not recognised as producers in their own right. The strategy for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will have to include a major thrust for the benefit of womenfolk.
16.25 Voluntary organisations will need to be promoted and assisted to play a partnership role in the designing and implementation of pro- grammes. Their role in advocacy and acceleration of the process of change and development and in innovating new programme structures, in organising and preparing the people, and in giving them a stake in the success of their endeavours in particular, has to be recognised. Voluntary organisations can also help in the training of grassroot level workers and in mobilising community resources.
16.26 Facilities like schools, hostels and institutional structures for health care, nutrition, drinking water supply, road linkages and housing will be made available in such a manner that these promote integration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with the rest of the society. Agencies and institutions excelling in promotion of integration and removal of all discriminatory practices will be suit- ably encouraged through appropriate incentives.
programmes 16.27.1 While both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lag behind the general population on most of the social and economic development indicators and in several areas the developmental needs are common, there are some important aspects in which the problems of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes differ. For instance, the Scheduled Castes suffer not only from economic backwardness but also from social disa- bilities. The Scheduled Tribes' problems arise from geographical isolation characterised by low level of techno-economic development and wide variation in levels of living between different areas and different tribal groups but all the same assiduously retaining their distinct socio-cultural identity in a large measure. The programmes for these groups during the Eighth Plan will, therefore, need to be attuned to meet specific needs of these communities.
Educational Development of Scheduled Castes 16.27.2 For the educational development of Scheduled Castes and Sched- uled Tribes, steps will be taken to ensure
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that at both pre-matric and post-matric stages, the problems such as high dropout rate, stagnation, non-enrolment of girl students and uneven growth amongst specified communities are effectively tackled. While the general sector would take care of the institutional arrangements for locating the necessary infrastructure, the programmes under the Backward Classes Sector would continue to pay special attention in supplementing these through incentives and support services.
16.27.3 At the pre-matric stage, programmes covering scholarships, boarding grants, hostel facilities, free supply of books, stationary and uniform and mid-day meals will be expanded. An appropriate package of services will be worked out to promote literacy and raise the level of education of communities where the current level is very low. Special attention will be paid to the retention of the girl child in school.
16.27.4 The post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in operation since 1944-45 has helped students from these communities to pursue higher education. Although the rates of scholarship under the scheme have been increased from time to time, no structural changes aimed at increasing employment opportunities have been made. The attempt during the Eighth Plan would be to rationalise the scheme to: (i) provide guidance with reference to employment opportunities and offering appropriate incentives for courses which have a larger market demand; (ii) improve the performance, if neces- sary by prescribing minimum standards; and (iii) identify causes for inter-caste/tribe variation in availing benefits under the scheme and chalk out appropriate remedial action.
Economic Development of Scheduled Castes 16.27.5. The economic development of Scheduled Caste families will be given high priority. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Develop- ment Corporations will strengthen their activities to enable proper identification of beneficiaries; selection of project in non-tradi- tional as well as traditional areas and matching them with the capabilities of the beneficiaries; provide financial assistance in the form of margin money or direct loan on concessional rate of interest in order to lessen the burden of repayment liability; facilitate the flow of credit through financial institutions for these projects; secure tie up with poverty alleviation programmes like IRDP; ensure infrastructure support where necessary to enable the group of beneficiaries to take up their own ventures in a common work place; organise training in different skill to the target group; arrange for inputs such as supply of raw-material, marketing of finished goods, etc.; and monitor the implementation of the projects.
16.27.6. A time-bound programme, to be completed within the period of Eighth Plan, will be launched to achieve complete elimination of scavenging. The objective will be achieved by (i) making provisions of flush latrines mandatory in every house in urban areas and (ii) pro- viding alternative work opportunities to those presently engaged in scavenging. For this purpose, necessary training facilities will be provided and rehabilitation undertaken.
16.27.7. The National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation would take up projects for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In addition, the Federation would organise training courses to provide skills.
Other Programmes 16.27.8. Under the provision of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, most of the State Governments have taken measures for effective imple- mentation of the Act including appointment of officers of initiating or exercising supervision over prosecutions, setting up of Special/Mobile Courts, appointment of Committees at the appropriate levels, periodic surveys on the working of the provisions of the Act and identification of areas where persons are under any disabilities arising from `untouchability'. Later, in 1989, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was promulgat- ed to prevent commission of offences and atrocities against the mem- bers of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes involving their persons, dignity and property. The measures taken for implementation of the Act include strengthening of existing police cells, mobile squads, increasing the number of special and mobile courts for trying atrocities cases, survey of untouchability prone areas, provision of legal aid and relief, encouraging inter-caste marriages, monitoring, publicity and propaganda. The endeavour during the Eighth Plan will be to strengthen the enforcement of Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 and undertake programmes for mass awakening leading to attitudinal changes.
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Educational Development of Scheduled Tribes 16.27.9. For the educational development of scheduled tribes, existing programmes for pre-matric and post-matric education of Scheduled Tribes will be continued. Residential schools, including ashram schools, will be expended. As envisaged in the National Policy on Education, 1986, priority will be accorded to the opening of primary schools in tribal areas. The socio-cultural miliau of the Scheduled Tribes will be taken into consideration in developing the curricula and devising the instructional materials in tribal languages at the initial stages with arrangements for switching over to the regional language. Anganwadis, non-formal and adult education centres will be established in tribal areas on a priority basis. Further, the curricu- lum at all stages of education will be so designed as to create an awareness of the rich cultural identity of the tribal people as also of their enormous creative talent.
Economic Development of Scheduled Tribes 16.27.10. The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation through the State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations would organise collection and marketing of minor forest produce in such a way as to ensure reasonable returns to tribals. A new policy on Minor Forest Produce in relation to the Scheduled Tribes will be formulated. The cooperative structure in the field for this purpose will be suit- ably reoriented and restructured.
16.27.11. The functioning of cooperative institutions including Large Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) in tribal areas will be reviewed with a view to meeting the genuine needs of tribal people in forests, credit, marketing of minor forest produce and supply of essential commodities. In addition, cooperatives for different occupa- tional groups amongst the Scheduled Tribes will be formed. Essential productive and managerial skills would be developed in them through training and entrepreneurial development programmes so that they may seek self-employment. Measures aimed at greater participation of tribal people in conservation and development of forests and preservation of ecology in a manner that their traditional rights relating to forest produce are not adversely affected would be undertaken. Also, rights and concessions of the tribals in forests would need to be codified to ensure unhindered access to minor forest produce and use of forest resources by the tribals.
16.27.12. Limited access to credit for consumption and production purposes has resulted in increased dependence of Scheduled Tribes on money lenders/traders leading to: (a) siphoning of developmental benefits in order to discharge loan liabilities to money lenders and traders; and (b) loss of resource base in the form of land or other assets. An important objective during the Eighth Plan will, therefore, be to provide increased access to credit from banks and cooperative institutions.
16.27.13. For the primitive tribal groups, detailed plans will be prepared for their economic development, as far as possible, with the family as the unit. Infra-structure and other developmental needs will be specifically identified so that an integrated plan is developed. Schemes will be developed which take into account the social and economic organisation of life of these communities, their interest, aptitudes and abilities.
16.27.14. A viable and lasting solution to the problem of shifting cultivation involving an area of about 10 million hectares affecting 6 lakh tribal families is yet to be found. Even though special pro- grammes under the Central Plan including a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 75 crores have been operating and these have been supplemented by the States own schemes many of them have been unable to make any real impact. During the Eighth Plan, schemes on water-shed basis in which sectoral programmes like agriculture, for- estry, horticulture, infrastructural and social services facilities will be interwoven in an integrated and viable manner to enable the shifting cultivators to take to settled cultivation.
16.27.15. Originally created for meeting the manpower requirements for exploitation and regeneration of forest resources, the forest villages numbering about 5000, wherein more than 2 lakh tribal people live, have remained largely deprived of normal developmental benefits. In March 1984, the Ministry of Agriculture had advised the State Govern- ments to confer long-term heritable but inalienable rights, say for 15-20 years, in respect of lands in occupation of tribals for more than 20 years. but this suggestion does not seem to have been fully implemented. In September 1990, the Ministry of Environment and For- ests advised the State Governments to convert the forest villages into Revenue villages after denotifying requisite land as forest. It was further suggested that administration of
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these and other Revenue villages in forest areas should be entrusted to the State Forest Departments. While details of conversion are not readily forthcoming, the progress does not seem to be encouraging.
16.27.16. During the Eighth Plan an attempt will be made to reach developmental benefits to forest villages in a manner suited to the situation. Arrangements for review, on a regular basis, of the func- tioning of developmental schemes in forest villages for their all- round development keeping in tune with environmental requirements will be made.
Other Programmes 16.28.1. Legal and administrative measures and programmes aimed at elimination of exploitation in matters relating to land, forest, money lending, trade and labour will receive priority attention. These will be so implemented as to ensure for the Scheduled Tribes, the retention of basic resources like land, access to minor forest produce especial- ly items for food, fuel and fodder, and self and wage employment opportunities.
16.28.2. Peoples' initiative and participation would be made a key element in the process of development of Scheduled Castes and Sched- uled Tribes and protecting their interests. Towards achieving this end, peoples' initiative and participation would be enlisted through continued assistance to non-governmental organisations working amongst Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Research will be carried out to help identify the problems of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Tribal Research Institutes in the States will be activated to under- take concurrent evaluation of programmes under implementation. A bench-mark survey was undertaken in 1978 in tribal areas. It would be useful to undertake a similar survey in respect of the Tribal areas during the Eighth Plan.
16.28.3 Most of the State Governments have drawn up their own lists of socially and educationally backward classes and are implementing developmental schemes for them, mainly in the field of education. For the denotified communities, nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, rehabilitation measures have been taken up. Some State Governments like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka and Maharashtra have also set up Development Corporation for other Backward Classes and Denotified Tribes. Efforts during the Eight Plan will be to critically examine the ongoing schemes and modify them to more effectively cater to the needs of different groups amongst these communities.
16.28.4. The National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation will promote the economic and other developmental activities for the benefit of the backward classes. Assistance will be given to promote self-employment and other ventures subject to such income and/or economic criteria as may be prescribed from time to time.
16.29. An outlay of Rs. 2548 crores has been provided for the pro- grammes in the Central Sector.
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