The s (SCs)[1] and s (STs) are two groups of historicallydisadvantaged people recognised in the Constitution of India. During the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes.
The s and s comprise about 15 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively, of India's population (or about 24 percent altogether, according to the 2001 census).[2] The proportion of s and s in the country's population has steadily risen since independence in 1947.
The Constitution (s) Order, 1950 lists 1,108 castes across 25 states in its First Schedule,[3] and the Constitution (s) Order, 1950 lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule.[4]
Since independence, the s, s and Other Backward Classes (the three categories combined constitute about 60 percent of India's population) were given reservation in India. The reservation policy became an integral part of the Constitution through the efforts of Bhimrao Ambedkar, who participated in the Round Table Conferences and fought for the rights of the oppressed and depressed classes. The early 20th century saw a flurry of activity in the Raj assessing the feasibility of responsible selfgovernment for India. The MorleyMinto Reforms Report, MontaguChelmsford Reforms Report and the Simon Commission were several initiatives in this context. A highlycontested issue in the proposed reforms was the reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislatures.
In 1935 the British passed the Government of India Act 1935, designed to give Indian provinces greater selfrule and set up a national federal structure. The reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into the act, which came into force in 1937.[5] The Act introduced the term "s", defining the group as "such castes, races or tribes or parts of groups within castes, races or tribes, which appear to His Majesty in Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly known as the 'Depressed Classes', as His Majesty in Council may prefer".[6] This discretionary definition was clarified in The Government of India (s) Order, 1936, which contained a list (or Schedule) of castes throughout the Britishadministered provinces. Michael Griffin Titans Jersey
After independence the Constituent Assembly continued the prevailing definition of s and Tribes, giving (via articles 341 and 342) the president of India and governors of the states a mandate to compile a full listing of castes and tribes (with the power to edit it later, as required). A number of laws were enacted to implement the provisions in the Constitution. Examples of such laws include The Untouchability Practices Act, 1955, and (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, etc.
Affirmative action: Provide positive (preferential) treatment in allotment of jobs and access to higher education as a means to accelerate the integration of the SCs and STs with mainstream society. Affirmative action is popularly known as reservation. Seventeen regional offices of the Commissioner were established throughout the country.
There was an initiative to replace the Commissioner with a committee in the 48th Amendment to the Constitution, changing Article 338. While the amendment was being debated, the Ministry of Welfare established the first committee for SCs and STs (with the functions of the Commissioner) in August 1978. These functions were modified in September 1987 to include advising the government on broad policy issues and the development levels of SCs and STs. Craig Stevens Titans Jersey
In 1990, Article 338 was amended for the National Commission for SCs and STs with the Constitution (Sixty fifth Amendment) Bill, 1990.[12] The first commission under the 65th Amendment was constituted in March 1992, replacing the Commissioner for s and s and the commission established by the Ministry of Welfare's Resolution of 1989. While a large proportion of scheduled castes were Hindus, they belonged to castes and tribes with low populations. The 2006 Sachar Committee report also confirmed that members of scheduled castes and tribes were not exclusively Hindu.
The following table indicates the percentage of each religion's adherents belonging to a scheduled caste or tribe (note the distribution of religions):.