Question

Scheduled caste and Scheduled tribes are the same.
A.True
B.False

Answer 1

Hint: Being a land of diverse culture, India is also home to minority groups and communities that have been historically marginalised. Pre-independence, these groups were referred to as depressed classes by the British Colonial government. After Independence, they were named as Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes popularised in usage by Dr B.R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.

Complete Step by Step answer: Option A: is incorrect because the following statement is not true.
Option B: is correct. Scheduled Caste refers to groups that were historically excluded from the caste-system and were considered the lowest caste. The term Dalit is also used for these castes. The population of Scheduled Castes in India according to the 2011 census was 16.6% of the whole. Scheduled Tribes are groups of indigenous people of over 200 different communities who speak more than 100 languages and are scattered all over India. They were one of the oldest inhabitants of the subcontinent that have been historically excluded and marginalised. The population of Scheduled Tribes in India according to the 2011 census was 8.6% of the whole. The list of Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes in India is prepared and updated from time to time by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Hence, Option B is correct.

Note: The framers of the Constitution sought to create measures that aim to enforce equality, provide punitive measures for transgressions, eliminate established practices that perpetuate inequities and provide positive treatment in allotment of jobs and access to higher education to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as a means to accelerate their integration into the mainstream society.