QUE: Have the welfare measures implemented by the Government of India from time to time practically improved the condition of SC/ST and women?

Despite constituting about 40% of India’s population, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women face significant development challenges. Recognizing this, the government has introduced welfare policies like Stand-up India, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

• Constitutional and Legal Framework:

• Art. 15(4), 16(4): Special provisions for SC/ST and women.

• Art. 17: Abolition of untouchability.

• SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: Legal protection from caste-based violence.

• 33% reservation for women in Panchayats (Amendment 243D)

• 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies through Nari Shakti Vandana Act.

• Major welfare measures for SC/ST and women:
• Educational empowerment

• Post-matric scholarship scheme for SC/ST students

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal children.

• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP): Focuses on improving girl child education.

• Navodaya and PM SHRI Schools: Emphasises inclusive quality education for rural and underprivileged sections.

• Economic empowerment

• Stand-up India Scheme: Loans for SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.

• Mudra Scheme: Provides microfinance to women and SC/ST-led enterprises.

• National SC/ST Hub: Promotes entrepreneurship among SC/ST.

• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM: Over 8 crore rural women have been empowered through SHGs.

• Social Empowerment

• Ujjwala Yojana: Over 9 crore LPG connections to reduce health risks for women.

• Nirbhaya Fund: Women safety measures, such as panic buttons, women-only police stations.

• One Stop Centres: Legal medical/psychological support to women facing violence.

• Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana: Tribal-centric development in education, health and livelihood.

• Practical improvements observed
• Increase in literacy rate

• SC female literacy: ~58% in 2011 (up from ~41% in 2001).

• Increase in ST literacy and enrolment of girls due to targeted scholarships.

• Improved Political Participation:

• Women currently hold about 14% of the seats in Parliament.

• SC/STs have ensured representation through reserved constituencies.

• Poverty Reduction

• SC/ST poverty has reduced (as per Tendulkar Committee), though still higher than the national average.

• Credit and Industry Growth

• About 30% of loan share in Mudra loans has been given to women.

• SC/STs are increasingly using formal credit and industry support.

• Persistent/Still-standing Challenges:

• Persistent social discrimination

• High incidence of caste-based atrocities (NCRB data).

• Manual sanitation, untouchability and boycotts still persist in many rural areas.

• Implementation Gaps:

• Poor utilization of funds, leakage and under-coverage in tribal and rural areas.

• Gender Inequality:

• India’s rank in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024 has dropped to 127 out of 146, but it is still very high.

• Unpaid care work and wage gap for women, burden of unpaid care work and low workforce participation.

• Digital and regional divide:

• Tribals living in remote areas and SCs living in urban slums are often left behind in digital access and public service delivery.

• Way forward:

• Strengthening delivery mechanisms and grievance redressal mechanisms.

• Promoting behavioural change through awareness and community participation

• Ensuring coordination of schemes with strong monitoring for better reach and impact.

Thus, the journey of empowerment for SCs, STs and women has undoubtedly progressed due to constitutional protections and welfare measures. However, change is incomplete without addressing deep-rooted social biases and improving last-mile delivery.