BharatNotes Scheduled Caste
/ˈʃedjuːld kɑːst/A constitutionally recognised category of social groups in India — listed in the Schedule to the Constitution Orders issued under Article 341 — historically subjected to untouchability and social discrimination, entitled to reservations (15% in Central government posts, 15% in Central educational institutions), special legal protection under the SC/ST (PoA) Act, and targeted welfare programmes; 2011 Census recorded 16.6% of India's population as SC.
Context & Background
The concept of scheduling derives from the Government of India Act, 1935, which scheduled "depressed classes". Dr. B.R. Ambedkar championed SC rights and negotiated the Poona Pact (1932) after Gandhi's fast — converting separate electorates into reserved constituencies. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 originally restricted SC status to Hindus; Sikhs were included in 1956 and Buddhists in 1990. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Article 338, elevated by 89th Amendment, 2003) monitors safeguards. NCRB data shows consistent under-reporting of SC atrocities.
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS2 Social Justice — Prelims: Article 341 (Presidential notification); Article 17 (abolition of untouchability); PCR Act 1955; POA Act 1989 (47 offences after 2015 Amendment); SC reservation — 15% Central jobs, 15% Central educational institutions; 89th Amendment (separate commissions for SCs and STs — previously combined under Article 338); Indra Sawhney case (1992) — 50% ceiling. Mains: under-representation despite reservations; debate on creamy layer for SCs; sub-categorisation (Davinder Singh case 2024 — Supreme Court 7-judge bench allowed states to sub-categorise SCs); atrocity data trends; manual scavenging — Prohibition of Manual Scavenging Act, 2013.
