Question

What is the percentage of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes according to the census of 2001?
A) SC –\[26.2\]; ST-\[12.2\]
B) SC –\[16.2\]; ST- \[8.2\]
C) SC –\[31.3\]; ST – \[8.9\]
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint: As per the census of \[2001\], there are approximately $16$ lakh scheduled castes in India. Both of these groups are officially recognized groups by the constitution. During British rule, these people were known as the depressed classes.

Complete answer:
As per the census of $2001$, the percentage of scheduled castes is $16.2$ while that of scheduled tribes is $8.2$ of the total population of India. After independence, both of these classes were given reservation status and granting political representation. Punjab is the state with the highest number of scheduled castes while Mizoram has the highest number of scheduled tribes. The caste system can be dated back to the Mughal era and the British raj in India. People belonging to such groups were called untouchables and were secluded by society. They usually performed odd and low-level jobs in order to make a living. Mahatma Gandhi called them Harijans meaning people of God in order to show respect and inclusion of these people in the society. B.R Ambedkar also preferred this term and Harijans was therefore adopted to address scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in place of depressed classes. The constitution has set up the national commission for scheduled castes and the national commission for scheduled tribes in order to safeguard the interest of these groups.

Note: In order to uplift the economic conditions of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the government has taken several initiatives by reserving seats for such classes in higher education institutions, private schools, and government jobs. Employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines has also been prohibited by the constitution.