Key Points at a Glance

Constitutional provisions for SC/ST: Article 15(4) — state can make special provisions for SC/ST and socially/educationally backward classes; Article 16(4) — reservation in public employment; Article 17 — abolition of untouchability; Article 46 — promote educational and economic interests of SC/ST and weaker sections.

SC/ST population (Census 2011): Scheduled Castes = 16.6% (20.14 crore) of India's population; Scheduled Tribes = 8.6% (10.43 crore); both groups are disproportionately represented among India's poor, with SC and ST MPI poverty rates far exceeding national average of 11.28% (NITI Aayog MPI 2023).

SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (POA Act) — prevents atrocities against SCs and STs; provides special courts and fast-track trials; NCRB 2022 recorded 51,656 atrocities against SCs (UP highest — 14,922) and 9,735 atrocities against STs; 2015 Amendment added new offences (garlanding with footwear, social boycott, manual scavenging).

Women's constitutional provisions: Article 15(3) — state can make special provisions for women; Article 39(a) — equal right to adequate livelihood; Article 39(d) — equal pay for equal work; Article 51A(e) — fundamental duty to renounce practices derogatory to women's dignity; 73rd and 74th Amendments — 1/3rd reservation for women in Panchayats/ULBs (50% in many states including Rajasthan).

PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 — extends Panchayati Raj to 5th Schedule areas (tribal regions); mandates Gram Sabha consent for land acquisition, minor forest produce rights, minor water bodies, and regulation of liquor; covers 10 states with 5th Schedule areas including Rajasthan (Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, etc.).

Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 — recognises individual and community rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers; grants title deeds (pattas) for land cultivated before December 13, 2005; over 23 lakh titles distributed nationally (2023); Rajasthan has distributed titles in Banswara, Dungarpur, and Udaipur tribal areas.

Women-specific legislation: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 (POSH); Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 — paid maternity leave increased from 12 to 26 weeks; Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 — marriage below 18 (girls), 21 (boys) illegal.

Garasia Tribe (Rajasthan): One of Rajasthan's major tribes (approx. 2.75 lakh, mainly in Sirohi, Udaipur, Rajsamand); known for the Nakeli/Varun Mata forest deity; practice of trial marriage (moha) before formal marriage; traditionally semi-nomadic; covered under PESA and FRA provisions; government schemes include PM Jan Dhan (financial inclusion) and Eklavya Model Residential Schools.

PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Financial inclusion for weaker sections; 52 crore accounts opened since 2014; zero-balance accounts; Rs 2 lakh accident insurance + Rs 30,000 life cover; significant penetration among SC/ST/women (56% accounts held by women, 67% in rural/semi-urban).

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): Residential schools for ST children in areas with >50% ST population (or above 20,000 ST population); funded centrally; 740 EMRS sanctioned (2023), aiming 1 per block with ST concentration; each school for 480 students (Classes VI–XII).

Manual Scavenging: Prohibited under Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013; yet 58,098 manual scavengers identified nationally (2023 survey); most are Dalit women; NAMASTE scheme (2022) — National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem — aims to eliminate manual scavenging by 2024 through mechanization.

Women's reservation (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023): 128th Constitutional Amendment; reserves 33% seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women; will come into force after next delimitation (expected post-2026 census); at present only ~15% MPs are women in Lok Sabha (2024).