CASTE SYSTEM: RESERVATION OF SCHEDULED CASTE AND SCHEDULED TRIBES PROBLEM

 

CASTE SYSTEM: RESERVATION OF SCHEDULED CASTE AND SCHEDULED TRIBES PROBLEM

The total population casate (SC) in India was 135 million, this population was 105 million in 1981. Similarly the population of Scheduled Tribes (STs) which was 53.8 million went up to 67.4 million in 1991. 

For upliftment of SC and ST population : the Government has taken several measures under the existing constitutional provision. For protecting and promoting the intrest of these categories various provisions exist

and in pursuance of these provisions a variety of programmes were launched with a view to improve the socio economic condition of SCs and STs. But a Broad look at the socio-economic condition of these categories reveals a wide gap between the polices and their actual implementation.

To ansure proper implementation of the constitutional provisions several programmes have been introduced. The concept of Tribal sub plans and special

component plan for SCs were introduced for close monitoring of expenditure on the welfare of these categories. During the seventh five year plan, special emphasis were laid on educational development of SCs and STs. 

About 190 lakh students from these categories were given the stipends and scholarship for pursuing pre-matric studies.In 1991-92 post matric scholarship were given to 15 lakhs such students. During the seventh plan itself two new or generation were set up for rapid economic development of these categories. These are

tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation and National Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribes Finance and development corporation. These are aimed at employment generation and financing pilot projects in pursuance of government policy of uniftment of SCs and STs. Even under the IRDP, 3 0 percent of the total number of beneficiaries were required to be SC/ST. In addition with view to enhance the competitive ability of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes candidates about 8000 seats were created in lOl pre-examination centres where coching is provided to SC/ST candidates to compete in the examination for recruitment in various public services. For eradicating sovereign efforts have

been made to convert the traditional latrines requiring scavenging into pour flush latrines and out of the scavenger released by such conversion 14,529

were rehabilitated during the seventh plan and the practice of scavenging was eliminated from 40 towns during the same period on top of all these measures suitable reservation in public services and educational institutions has been introduced for SCs and STs. 

Buit despite tall claims by the Government, the english plan to documents reveals serious gapsin execution of most of these programmes. The total percentage of SCs in central Government services in 1971 in class. I pasts was just 2-50 percent. It rose the 9.09 percent in 1991. The percentage for STs rose from 0.41 percent to 2.53 percent during the same period. In class IV category the position was better. Even in public sector enterprises the percentage of SCs on all posts was 0.17 percent which rose to 20.76 percent in 1984. 

The percentage of ST employees also rose from 2.24 percent to 9.68 percent during the same period. As against all India poverty percentage of 33.4 percent at the end of seventh plan the percentage for SCs was 44.7 and for STs it was 52.6 percent.