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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2022/Paper II/Indian Society, Caste & Civilization
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2022 15 Marks Model Answer Available

Issues and Solutions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — 2022 Paper II

Question · 2022 · Paper II · 15 Marks

Discuss the issues and solutions related to the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe populations in India.

Model Answer

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Approach

  • Demand of Question: Analyze the distinct structural roots of marginalization for SCs and STs, identify their overlapping vulnerabilities, and outline the constitutional, legal, and developmental solutions tailored to address them.
  • Structuring the Response: Introduce demographic data; structurally separate SC issues (social/ritual) and ST issues (territorial/resource); highlight common developmental gaps; categorize solutions (Legal, Governance, Developmental); conclude.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Ambedkar and Xaxa's perspectives; untouchability vs. displacement; Articles 15, 16, 17, 46; PoA Act, FRA, PESA; PM-JANMAN, DAJGUA, economic empowerment.

Model Answer

Introduction: Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) constitute roughly 16.6% and 8.6% of India’s population (Census 2011), respectively. While both share a history of deep systemic exclusion, the fundamental nature of their marginalization differs: SC deprivation is rooted in social and ritual hierarchy, whereas ST deprivation is tied to geographic isolation and resource dispossession.

Distinct Structural Issues:

  1. Issues Faced by Scheduled Castes (SCs):
  • Social Stigma and Violence: Rooted in the caste system and "graded inequality" (B.R. Ambedkar), SCs face untouchability, residential segregation, and targeted violence (reflected in high case registrations under the SC/ST PoA Act).
  • Occupational Segregation: A disproportionate number of SCs are confined to landless agricultural labor, the informal economy, and hazardous manual scavenging, despite legal prohibitions.
  • Economic Landlessness: Unlike STs who historically owned land, SCs have historically been denied land ownership rights, leaving them economically dependent on dominant castes.
  1. Issues Faced by Scheduled Tribes (STs):
  • Resource Dispossession: As noted by sociologist Virginius Xaxa, tribal deprivation is intensified by alienation from their traditional lands and forests due to state-led development projects (dams, mining), leading to massive displacement.
  • Erosion of Customary Rights: The imposition of mainstream administrative and forest laws has often criminalized their traditional subsistence practices.
  • Vulnerability of PVTGs: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups face extreme existential threats, including declining populations, pre-agricultural technology, and extreme isolation.

Overlapping Developmental Gaps: Both groups face disproportionate levels of Multidimensional Poverty (as per NITI Aayog's MPI), severe health and nutritional deficits (high IMR and anemia), and high school dropout rates, severely hindering their human capital formation.

Solutions and Interventions:

  1. Constitutional and Legal Safeguards (Anti-Discrimination):
  • Article 17 abolishes untouchability, enforced via the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (amended to ensure stricter compliance against targeted violence).
  • Article 46 directs the State to protect their educational and economic interests.
  1. Representation and Institutional Mechanisms:
  • Political & Employment Affirmative Action: Articles 330/332 (Parliament/State legislatures) and Articles 15(4)/16(4) (education and public employment) ensure representation.
  • Watchdogs: The NCSC (Article 338) and NCST (Article 338A) monitor the implementation of these safeguards.
  1. Resource Rights and Self-Governance (Specifically for STs):
  • The Fifth and Sixth Schedules, alongside PESA (1996), provide for decentralized, culturally appropriate self-governance through Gram Sabhas.
  • The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, recognizes Individual and Community Forest Rights, attempting to reverse historical injustices regarding land.
  1. Targeted Developmental Policies:
  • Economic Empowerment: Schemes like Stand-Up India and the Venture Capital Fund for SCs promote entrepreneurship.
  • Saturation Approaches (Current): The PM-JANMAN mission explicitly targets the holistic development of PVTGs. Concurrently, the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA, 2024-2029) aims to saturate over 63,000 tribal-majority villages with basic infrastructure and services.

Conclusion: Effectively addressing the marginalization of SCs and STs requires a nuanced, dual-track approach: strict enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and social integration for SCs, coupled with the protection of territorial autonomy, resource rights, and culturally sensitive development for STs.

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