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Development of Scheduled Castes

Constitutional Provisions

1. Definition of Scheduled Castes was given in Part 14 of Government of India Act, 1935. This definition was used till the Constitution of India came into force.
2. Article 15(4) - (Inserted by Section 2 of First Constitution Amendment Act 1951) Article 15 of the Constitution states that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. However Article 15(4) qualifies it by stating that - Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
3. Article 16(4) -Article 16 States that - No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State. However Article 16(4) qualifies it by stating that- (4) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.
4. Article 16(4 a) - (Inserted by Section 2 of Seventy seventh Constitution Amendment Act 1995) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for reservation 3 [in matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, to any class] or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
5. Article 16(4 b) - (Inserted by Section 2 of Eighty first Constitution Amendment Act 2000) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from considering any unfilled vacancies of a year which are reserved for being filled up in that year in accordance with any provision for reservation made under clause (4) or clause (4A) as a separate class of vacancies to be filled up in any succeeding year or years and such class of vacancies shall not be considered together with the vacancies of the year in which they are being filled up for determining the ceiling of fifty per cent reservation on total number of vacancies of that year.
6. Article 46 -This is in Part-4 of the Constitution – Directive Principles of State Policy. This article states – The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
7. Article 243 T - Reservation of Seats in Municipalities.
8. Article 243 D - Reservation of Seats in Panchayats.
9. Article 330 - Reservation of seats in Lok Sabha.
10. Article 332 - Reservation of Seats in Vidhan Sabhas of States.
11. Article 334 -This article provides that - the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People and in the Legislative Assemblies of the States shall cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of 1 [sixty years] from the commencement of this Constitution.
12. Article 335 - The claims of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration, in the making of appointments to services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State: Provided that nothing in this article shall prevent in making of any provision in favour of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes for relaxation in qualifying marks in any examination or lowering the standards of evaluation, for reservation in matters or promotion to any class or classes of services or posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State. (The proviso was inserted by Section 2 of Eighty Second Constitution Amendment Act 2000)
13. Article 338 -Regarding Scheduled Castes Commission.
14. Article 341 - (1) The President 2 [may with respect to any State 3 [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 2[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 (1) 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.

Other legal Provisions for Scheduled Castes

1. Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
2. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013

General Information

1. These are those castes which have faced exploitation, untouchability and atrocities due to caste system in Hindu religion. They have lack of opportunity for this reason. Due to untouchability these people were not allowed to draw water from public villages, enter into temples and were made to sit separately at the back in educational institutions.
2. Mahatma Gandhi had made development of untouchables and Harijan Welfare an integral part of freedom movement.
3. A total of 44 castes are notified as Scheduled Caste in Chhattisgarh. As per census of 2011 the population of Scheduled Castes in India is 16.66 crores and in Chhattisgarh it is 32.74 lakh 12.82% of total population of Chhattisgrah are Scheduled Castes.
4. Maximum population of Scheduled Castes in Chhattisgarh is in Janjgir-Champa district - 3.97 lakh, Raipur district - 3.58 lakh and Bilaspur district - 3.58 Lakh. Least population of Scheduled Castes is in Sukma district - 2776, Narayanpur district -4979 and Bijapur district - 10122.
5. The Maximum percentage of Scheduled Caste population in Chhattisgarh is in Mungeli district 27.76%, Janjgir-Champa district 24.57% and Baloda Bazar district - 23.37%. Least is in Sukma district - 1.11%, Bastar district- 1.77% and Narayanpur district - 3.56%.
6. Scheduled Caste Development Authority – It was constituted in 2004. It covers the entire State. Under this infrastructure development works are undertaken in villages with a Scheduled Caste population of more than 25%. Its budget for the year 2017-18 was Rs 3500 crore. Its Vice Chairman is MLA Shri Sanam Jangde.

Special Schemes of Scheduled Castes

Schemes for Socio-economic Development

1. Contingency scheme rules 1995 - Immediate financial assistance is given in cases of harassment of SC and SC persons by others in cases of harassment, murder, rape, humiliation, bodily injury, property offences etc. For rehabilitation financial assistance is given for monthly allowance, employment, drinking water, agriculture, land, education of children, social rehabilitation, artificial limbs etc. During the year 2016-17 a total of 622 perosns were given a financial assistance of Rs 492.42 lakh.
2. Inter-Caste Marriage -Youth of unreserved caste is given an award of Rs 50,000/- for marrying Scheduled Caste/Tribe.
3. Goodwill Camps - Goodwill camps are organized in scheduled caste villages to encourage intermingling and removal of untouchability.

Self-employment finance Schemes

1. Antyavsayi Scheme - C.G. State Antyavsayi Cooperative Finance and Development corporation, Raipur is responsible for assisting young ST entrepreneurs. 51% of share capital of the corporation is of the State and 49% of the Central Government. In the year 2016-17 (Till December 2016) 1832 beneficiaries received help and Rs 180.21 lakh subsidy and Rs 799.32 loan was given.
2. Lok Mitra (Nai Peti) Scheme -n this scheme free instruments and boxes to cut hair are distributed to barbers.
3. Ravidas Charmashilpa Yojna -Free Mochi Peti is distributed to cobblers.

Regional Development Schemes

1. Prime Minister Model Village Scheme -This is for comprehensive development of villages. Every year one village is selected in each Lok Sabha constituency. So far 100 villages have been selected.
2. Community Mangal Bhavan Construction - Community halls are constructed for social and cultural functions in Scheduled Caste villages.

Schemes for professional Training

1. Free professional training is given for self-employment and for other jobs -
   1. Pilot and Airhostess scheme – Started in 2007-08
   2. Nursing Training Scheme – Started in 2009-10
   3. Hospitality and Hotel Management – Started in 2006-07
   4. Free Driving Training scheme – For class 8th pass SC/ST persons
2. Youth career development Scheme - Before 2003 this scheme was called Pre-Examination Training. Under the scheme mainly training for preparation for UPSC and other competitive examination was done using guest faculty. From 2006 the scheme was renamed and the coaching was outsourced to good private sector coaching institutes. At present this scheme is operations in Raipur, Bilaspur and Jagdalpur. In the year 2011 the scheme was extended to competitive examinations like banking, railways, staff selection commission etc.
3. Tribal hostel in New Delhi - A hostel has been made in Dwarka, Delhi, for scheduled tribe and scheduled caste students living in Delhi for preparation for competitive examinations. It is a fully residential institution where free food and travel facility is given.
4. Civil Services Encouragement Scheme - For students of SC and ST whose parents are not income tax payee, Rs 10,000/- is given on being selected in preliminary and Rs 20,000/- on getting selected in main examination of PSC. Rs 10,000/- if given for getting selected in preliminary examination of UPSC.

Culture Protection Schemes

1. Guru Ghasidas Lok Kala Mahotsav -It is organized for protection of traditional dance and art like Panthi, Bharthari, Pandwani etc. First prize is of Rs 1 lakh, second prize of Rs 75,000 and thirs prize of Rs 50,000.

Schemes relating to Education

1. Pre-matric scholarship - SC/St students are given this scholarship till class 10th. In 950111 ST students received pre-matric scholarship in the year 2016-17on which Rs 95.074 crore were spent. Similarly 452165 SC students received pre-matric scholarship on which Rs 45.627 crores were spent.
2. Post-matric Scholarship -Boys and girls studying in class 11th and higher classes get post-matric scholarship. ST Students with a family income of Rs2.50 per year are eligible for this scholarship. 135585 students of ST were benefitted in 2016-17. In this scheme tuition fees and other fees excluding amount refundable to the student on completion of the course is given.
3. Chhatra Bhojan Sahay Yojna - Rs 400/- per student is given for running mess facility for students admitted in Post-matric hostels.
4. Special Education Scheme - The objective of this scheme is special teaching of students admitted in SC/ST hostels/ashrams for difficult subjects for improvement in quality of education and success in competitive examinations. This is being implemented in all 146 blocks.
5. Computer Education Scheme - Free computer education is given to students living in SC/ST Hostels.
6. Swastha Tan Swastha Man (Swasthya Suraksha Yojna) - Regular medical check up and immediate medical assistance in case of an emergency for students living in SC/ST hostels.
7. Saraswati Cycle scheme -Under this scheme BPL girls of SC, ST, OBC and General Category are given cycles on passing class 10th and girls of Primitive tribes are given cycles on passing class 8th and taking admission in class 9th.
8. Free uniform scheme -All girls students of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes of primary school level and boys and girls of class 1st to 8th of primitive tribes are given free school uniforms.
9. Free text book scheme - text books of class 1st to 8th are distributed free under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Scheduled Tribe development Department distributes free text books to girl students of 9th and 10th class.
10. Mukhyamantri Gyan Protsahan Yojna -700 students of scheduled tribes and 300 students of scheduled castes who get highest marks in Board Examination of class 10th and 12th each year are given Rs 15,000/- and a certificate.