SCHEDULE TRIBE
DEFINITION, CONDITION AND PROBLEMS
INTRODUCTION
SCHEDULED TRIBES (STS) ARE A GROUP OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO HAVE BEEN
TRADITIONALLY MARGINALIZED AND DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST IN INDIA. THEY ARE OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED
BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT AS "TRIBES" AND ARE
ENTITLED TO CERTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL
PROTECTIONS AND BENEFITS
DEFINITION
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT DEFINES A SCHEDULED TRIBE AS
A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE "PRIMITIVE TRIBAL GROUPS
OR BACKWARD TRIBES" AND WHO ARE "SOCIALLY AND
EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD". TO BE INCLUDED ON THE LIST
OF SCHEDULED TRIBES, A GROUP MUST MEET CERTAIN
CRITERIA, SUCH AS HAVING A DISTINCT LANGUAGE,
CULTURE, AND RELIGION; BEING PREDOMINANTLY RURAL;
AND BEING ECONOMICALLY BACKWARD.
CONDITION
SCHEDULED TRIBES MAKE UP ABOUT 8% OF INDIA’S
POPULATION, BUT THEY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY
POOR AND MARGINALIZED. THEY HAVE LOWER
LEVELS OF LITERACY, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH THAN
THE GENERAL POPULATION. THEY ARE ALSO MORE
LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY AND TO BE VICTIMS OF
CRIME AND VIOLENCE.
PROBLEMS
SCHEDULED TRIBES FACE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS,
INCLUDING:
POVERTY: SCHEDULED TRIBES ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN
POVERTY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. IN 2011, 47%
OF SCHEDULED TRIBE HOUSEHOLDS LIVED BELOW THE
POVERTY LINE, COMPARED TO 22% OF NON-SCHEDULED
TRIBE HOUSEHOLDS
LOW LITERACY
SCHEDULED TRIBES HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF LITERACY
THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. IN 2011, 63% OF
SCHEDULED TRIBE ADULTS WERE LITERATE, COMPARED
TO 74% OF NON-SCHEDULED TRIBE ADULTS.
POOR HEALTH
SCHEDULED TRIBES HAVE POORER HEALTH THAN THE
GENERAL POPULATION. IN 2011, THE INFANT
MORTALITY RATE FOR SCHEDULED TRIBE CHILDREN
WAS 63 PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS, COMPARED TO 48
PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS FOR NON-SCHEDULED TRIBE
CHILDREN
CRIME AND VIOLENCE
SCHEDULED TRIBES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS
OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE THAN THE GENERAL
POPULATION. IN 2012, THERE WERE 1,228 REPORTED
CASES OF ATROCITIES AGAINST SCHEDULED TRIBES,
COMPARED TO 723 REPORTED CASES OF ATROCITIES
AGAINST NON-SCHEDULED TRIBES.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A NUMBER OF POLICIES IN
PLACE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS FACED BY SCHEDULED
TRIBES. THESE POLICIES INCLUDE:
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A POLICY OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR
SCHEDULED TRIBES. THIS POLICY PROVIDES SCHEDULED TRIBES WITH
PREFERENTIAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND GOVERNMENT
SERVICES
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF SCHEDULED
TRIBES. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
CONCLUSION
SCHEDULED TRIBES FACE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS,
BUT THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A NUMBER OF
POLICIES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS.
THESE POLICIES HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS, BUT
THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
LAWS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION:
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS LAWS IN PLACE TO PROTECT
SCHEDULED TRIBES FROM DISCRIMINATION. THESE LAWS PROHIBIT
DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC PLACES.
This is the Waquar Altamash
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