RAS question
How many Scheduled Castes are listed in Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (A) 59.
Rajasthan has 59 castes notified as Scheduled Castes in the Government of India's state-wise list.
Explanation
The official state-wise list of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment records Rajasthan with 59 castes notified as Scheduled Castes. Rajasthan's Scheduled Caste count is therefore 59. Rajasthan also has 12 Scheduled Tribes, so 59 is specifically the Scheduled Caste count, not a combined SC-ST figure or the ST count. In RAS polity questions, the wording matters: "listed" or "notified" points to the government's recognised list for the state, and for Rajasthan that entry is 59.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 67 is wrong because the official state-wise Scheduled Caste list gives Rajasthan's notified count as 59, not 67.
- (C) 51 is wrong because it understates the notified Scheduled Caste count for Rajasthan, which the official list records as 59.
- (D) 42 is wrong because Rajasthan has 59 notified Scheduled Castes and 12 Scheduled Tribes, not 42 in either category.
Concept
The constitutional-administrative listing of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes operates at the state level. RAS repeats such factual polity items because welfare, representation and reservation questions depend on the correct notified category for Rajasthan.