INTRODUCTION
 

According to 1991 Census the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in the country is 13.82 crores and that of Scheduled Tribes (STs) 6.78 crores. Together, they account for 24.33 per cent of India's population. They form the lowest rung of the social and economic ladder. The Scheduled Castes had been the object of social apathy and discrimination before independence and most of the Scheduled Tribes, on the other hand, had been leading primitive lives, cut off from the mainstream for centuries. Educationally, the two groups form the most backward sections of our country.

Since independence, the Government have taken a number of initiatives to strengthen the educational base of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Provision of educational institutions in the areas predominantly inhabited by these communities on priority basis, provision of incentives like scholarships. free ships. mid-day meals, uniforms, books and stationery, reservation of scats in educational institutions. relaxation of standards for admission to institutes of higher learning. provision of coaching. provision of hostels, etc., are some of the steps which have contributed a great deal in raising their educational attainments.

In the Central Government, the Ministry of Welfare deals with schemes which are exclusively meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Sonic of the important schemes are : post-matric scholarships. girls' and boys' hostels, Ashram schools, pre-matric scholarships for children whose parents are engaged in unclean occupation and coaching classes for competitive examinations, etc.

The Department of Education, in the Ministry of Human Resource Development lays special emphasis on the educational development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in all its programmes. Some of the important facilities given by the Department of Education are as follows: In all Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) 15 per cent of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribes. State GovernmentS. Aniversities have been advised by the Department of Education to reserve seats for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in all their educational institutions. They have been requested to relax the norms for selection for admission to various courses to the extent that all reserved seats are filled up by SC/ST candidates. Provision of scholarships, research fellowships, reservation of seats in educational institutions and preparation of curricula and text-books in tribal languages are some of the activities taken up by the Department for the educational development among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Further, priority is given in opening of Centres of Non-Formal Education and Adult Education in areas predominantly inhabitated by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Other Central Ministries like Health and Labour deal with Education in their specific spheres wherein they provide similar facilities in cases of admissions, etc., to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

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