Scheduled Castes

Highlights

  • Total allocations under Scheduled Castes Sub Plan increased from Rs. 52,719 crore in 2017- 18 (RE) to Rs. 56619 crore in 2018-19 (BE), an increase of 7 percent. During the same period, allocations for the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment increased by 12 percent from Rs. 6,908 crore in 2017-18 (RE) to Rs. 7,750 crore in 2018-19 (BE).
  • The government has still not come up with a revised framework for earmarking under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan, which dilutes the implementation of the strategy.
  • Budget allocation for Post Matric scholarship for Scheduled Castes has declined from Rs. 3,348 crore in 2017-18 (RE) to Rs. 3,000 crore in 2018-19 (BE). This reduced allocation comes at a time when the department has been asking for a one-time package to clear the accumulated arrears under the same amounting to Rs. 8,000 crore at the end of 2016-17.