SCHEDULED CASTES
The word ‘Caste’ comes from the Portuguese word, ‘casta’, signifying ‘breed, race, or kind’. The Portuguese of the eleventh century applied the term indiscriminately to the various social and occupational groups found in the subcontinent and it has since continued. The term is used to describe, in the broadest sense, the total system of stratification of society in India; on the other hand, it is used to denote three or four more or less distinct aspects of this system of stratification, that is, varna, jati and gotra.
Scheduled Castes are those castes named in the Scheduled Castes order of the Government of India, promulgated in August 1950. In 1932, the nomenclature ‘Scheduled Castes’ was proposed before the Indian Franchise Committee by the then provincial government of Bengal. Accordingly, in the Government of India Act, 1935, a schedule containing a list of these classes was added for the first time. Prior to this, they had been classified as the ‘Depressed Classes’.
The word ‘Schedule’ means a Schedule to the Constitution. ‘Scheduled Castes’ means such castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races, or tribes as are deemed under Article 341, which authorizes the President of India to specify castes to be notified as Scheduled Castes.
The Scheduled Castes are backward, it is due to their preponderantly rural nature, illiteracy, dependence on agricultural labour, or other occupations with low earnings, and due to injustice, exploitation, and oppression, they have been suffering from others for centuries. The Scheduled Castes have been suffering from three social disabilities such as untouchability, atrocity, which is an act of extreme cruelty committed against them and bonded labour.
Scheduled Castes are the ex-untouchables, who continue to follow the Hindu faith. The purpose of the classification of castes as Scheduled Castes is to safeguard the interest of those who suffer from caste discrimination and to provide them special concessions to help them catch up with the rest of the population in the process of development.
PROBLEMS FACED BY SCHEDULED CASTES
The Varna System, which existed during the Vedic period, in the course of time, degenerated into the caste system. Since then, the Scheduled Castes, who are known as ‘Untouchables’, have been suffering from various social, religious, legal, political, economic, educational, and other disabilities.
For centuries they were denied political representation, legal rights, civic facilities, educational privileges and economic opportunities. During the British rule also, nothing was done to uplift the Harijans and relieve them from their bondage. Even today, the Scheduled Castes are not free from problems.
The Social Restrictions and Disabilities of the Scheduled Castes:
The Scheduled Castes or the Harijans suffered for centuries from a number of social disabilities, among which the following may be noted.
Lowest Status in the Hierarchy:
In the Caste hierarchy, the Scheduled Castes are ascribed the lowest status. They are considered to be ‘unholy’, ‘inferior’ and ‘low’ and are looked down upon by the other castes. They have been suffering from the stigma of ‘untouchability’. Their very touch is considered to be polluting for the higher caste people.
Education Disabilities:
The Harijans were forbidden from taking up education during the early days. Sanskrit education was denied to them. Public schools and other educational institutions were closed for them. Therefore, even today majority of them are illiterate and ignorant.
Civic Disabilities:
For a long time, the untouchable castes were not allowed to use public places and avail of civic facilities such as—village wells, ponds, temples, hostels, hotels, schools, hospitals, lecture halls, dharamashalas, choultries, etc.
They were forced to live on the outskirts of the towns and villages during the early days. Even today, they are segregated from others spatially. Some lower caste people were not allowed to carry umbrellas, wear shoes or golden ornaments or to milk cows. They were prohibited from covering the upper part of their body. The services of barbers, washermen and tailors were refused to them.
Religious Disabilities:
The Harijans also suffer from religious disabilities even today. They are not allowed to enter temples in many places. The Brahmins, who offer their priestly services to some lower castes, are not prepared to officiate in the ceremonies of the ‘untouchable’ castes. They do not even bow down to the duties of these ‘untouchable’ castes.
The Vedic mantras, which are considered to be more pure, could not be listened to and chanted by the Harijans because of the taboos. They were only permitted to make use of the Upanishadic mantras, which are considered to be less pure. Burial grounds were also denied for them in many places.
Economic Disabilities:
The Harijans are economically backward and have been suffering from various economic disabilities also.
No Right of Property Ownership:
For centuries the Harijans were not allowed to have land and business of their own. It is only recently their ownership of the property has become recognized. The propertied people are comparatively less in them. The majority of them depend upon agriculture but only a few of them own land.
Selection of Occupations Limited:
The Caste system imposes restrictions on the occupational choice of the members. The occupational choice was very much limited for the Harijans. They were not allowed to take up occupations which were reserved for the upper caste people.
They were forced to stick on to the traditional inferior occupations such as—curing hides, removing human wastes, sweeping, scavenging, oil grinding, tanning, shoemaking, leather works, carrying dead animals, etc. These occupations were regarded as ‘degraded’ and ‘inferior’.
Landless Labourers:
The majority of the Harijans are today forking as landless labourers. More than 90.1 of the agricultural labourers in India belong to the depressed classes, which include the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. More than 77.1% of the Scheduled Caste workers in rural areas are agricultural labourers.
A large number of Harijan families are in debt. About 64.1% of the agricultural labour households of the Scheduled Castes were indebted during 1956-57 as against 45.1% in 1950-51.
The average accumulated debt per household increased from Rs. 47 in 1950-51 to Rs. 88 in 1956-57. Their indebtedness is increasing day by day. The Harijans are economically exploited by the upper caste people. Even today, they are the lowest-paid workers; some of them continue to suffer as bonded labourers at the hands of the higher caste people.
Political Disabilities:
The untouchables hardly participated in political matters. They were not given any place in the politics, administration and general governance of India; they were not allowed to hold any public post.
Political rights and representation were denied to them. Under British rule, they were given the right to vote for the first time. After independence, equal political opportunities and rights have been provided for the Harijans also. Politically, the Harijans are yet to become an organized force.
Thus, the Scheduled caste in India is, as it stands, a class by itself, a class apart, a particular class which has all the privileges above all other citizens. This caste of theirs is turning out to be a blessing in disguise, as; they continue to take the advantages meant for only ten years, as a permanent measure.
UPLIFTMENT OF SCHEDULED CASTES
Of all the sections, the shudras, once put on the lowest rung of the social hierarchy, were destined to suffer all types of deprivations. These untouchables and depressed classes came to be designated as Scheduled Castes.
The term first appeared in the Government of India Act, 1935. In April 1936, the British Government issued the Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936 specifying certain castes, races, and tribes as Scheduled Castes in the then provinces of Assam, Bombay, Bengal, Bihar, Central Provinces and Berar, Madras, Orissa, Punjab and United Provinces.
Different Provisions Under Construction for Upliftment of Schedule Caste
Social
Equality before the law (Article 14)
Removal of any disability, liability, restriction or conditions with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public resort maintained wholly or partially out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public (Article 15(2)).
Special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes including SCs (Article 15(4)).
Abolition of “Untouchability” and its practice in any form is forbidden (Article 17).
Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour (Article 23).
Throwing open by law of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus (Article 25(b)).
Forbidding of any denial of admission to educational institutions maintained by the state or receiving grants out of state funds (Article 29(2)).
Special provision for administration and control of scheduled and tribal areas (Article 244 and Fifth and Sixth Schedules).
Appoint a commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes (Article 340).
To specify the castes deemed to be SCs (Article 341).
Economic
To promote with a particular case the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections and in particular, of SCs and protect them from any social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46).
The clauses of SCs to appointments in services (Article 335).
Political
Reservation of seats for SCs in the House of the People and in the Legislative Assemblies of the States. (Article 330).
The Impact of various developmental places, policies and programmes has brought forth a perceptible improvement in the socio-economic status of SCs.
Different Plans for Upliftment of SCs
The implementation of the special strategies of the Special Component Plan (SCP) for SCs and the Special Central Assistance (SCA) to SCP, has been receiving special attention, since their inception, as these were effective instruments to ensure a proportionate flow of funds for SCs from the other general development sectors. In respect of the Special Component Plan (SCP), the situation at the central level was not found to be very encouraging as the earmarking of funds was adhered to only by thirteen Ministries/Departments.
Crimes/Atrocities against SCs and Protection to SCs by Law
Besides the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act of 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, are 2 major legal instruments which help prevent/control the atrocities against SCs.
National Commission for SCs
By virtue of the constitution (Sixty-fifth Amendment) Act, 1990, the special officer’s post under Article 338 of the Constitution has been substituted by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-chairperson and five other members to be appointed by the President.
Parliamentary Committee
The Government had set up three parliamentary committees, first in 1966, second in 1971 and third in 1973, to examine the implementation of the constitutional safeguards for the welfare of Scheduled Castes. The Committee has since been constituted as a Standing Committee of the Parliament on labour and welfare.
Different Schemes for Upliftment of SCs
Coaching and Allied Scheme:
It was started in Fourth Five Year Plan for imparting training to SCs/STs in respect of various competitive examinations held by recruiting bodies such as Union Public Service Commission, State Public Service Commissions, Public Sector Undertakings, Banking-Service Recruitment Boards and similar agencies. Grant is given to the Pre-Examination Training Centres (PETCs), which are run either by the State/UT governments in universities/private institutes.
During the year 1998-99, against the allocation of Rs. three crores, an amount of Rs. 0.92 crores was released up to December 1998.
Book Bank Scheme:
The Book Bank Scheme is intended to provide textbooks required for the students belonging to SCs/STs pursuing medical and engineering degree courses.
Pre-Matric Scholarships:
Begun in 1977-78, this scheme is for the education, and development of those who are engaged in the so called unclean occupations, viz., scavenging of dry latrines, tanning, flaying and sweeping with traditional links with scavenging.
Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST Students:
The scheme of Post-Matric Scholarship to SC/ST was introduced in 1994-95 with the objective of providing financial assistance to students studying at post-matriculation stages in different schools and colleges so as to enable them to complete their education.
Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers:
A national scheme of liberation and rehabilitation of scavengers and their dependents has been formulated with the following component:
Time-bound survey for identification of scavengers and their dependents with their aptitudes for alternative, trades etc.
Training as per TRYSEM norms in identified trades at the nearest local training institutes/centres of the state governments/central government and semi and non-government organizations, and
Rehabilitation of scavengers in trades and occupations by providing subsidies, Margin Money loans and bank loans.
National Overseas Scholarship and Passage grants for Higher Education:
The scheme provides financial assistance to meritorious selected students for pursuing higher studies abroad in specified fields of Masters le/el courses, PhD and Post Doctoral Research programmes in Engineering, Technology and Science only.
State Scheduled Castes Development Corporation:
The scheme for assistance to the state-level Scheduled Castes Development Corporations (SCDCs) was introduced in 1978-79 to uplift the SCs/STs population living below the poverty line. In 1998-99 (up to November 1998), an amount of Rs. 35.85 crores was released as the Government of India’s contribution.
Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar Foundation:
The Foundation was set up on March 24, 1992, as a registered society. The foundation has been entrusted with the responsibility to manage, administer and carry on the schemes and programmes identified during the centenary celebration of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
FIVE-YEAR PLAN OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES
Empower the Socially Disadvantaged Groups, viz. the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Schedules Tribes (STs), the OBCs and Minorities as the Agents of Social Change and Development.
Strategies:
Create an enabling environment that is conducive for the SCs, STs, OBCs and Minorities to exercise their rights freely, enjoy their privileges and be able to lead a life with confidence and dignity.
Adopt a 3 pronged strategy in empowering these disadvantaged groups:
Social Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Social Justice
Ensure removal of disparities, eliminate exploitations and suppression and provide protection to the disadvantaged groups.
Ensure the developmental benefits to ‘Reach the Unreached’ through equitable distribution and social justice.
Ensure participation of the Social Disadvantaged Groups in the process of planning not merely as the beneficiaries but to take part effectively in the formulation of the need-based programmes/project, their implementation, supervision and monitoring.
Accelerate the ongoing process of improving the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged groups through effective implementation of various policies and programmes and thus bring them on par with the rest of the society.
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Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India and their Higher Education ~ Baiju K Nath
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