In its election manifesto for the 2009 general elections, Congress had promised that it would ensure that allocations made under the Special Components Plan (SCP) for scheduled castes and the Tribal Sub-Plan for scheduled tribes are in accordance with their proportion in the total population. These two crucial schemes ensure that a proportion of all plan spending has to go towards the most marginalized and deprived sections of Indian society...

The introduction of many new social welfare schemes could be delayed because the rural development ministry and the Planning Commission have yet to agree on a suitable new way to identify the poor, the main intended beneficiaries of these schemes. One key programme that is likely to be hit is the proposed National Food Security Act, which aims to provide every Indian family that lives below the poverty line (BPL) 25kg...

The National Commission for Scheduled castes on Thursday criticised the Tamil Nadu government for high pendency of cases and low conviction rate under the Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Vice-Chairman of the Commission N.M. Kamble, who along with Member of the Commission Mahendra Boddh, conducted a State-level review meeting with Adi-Dravidar Welfare Minister Tamilarasi and senior officials of the government, pulled up the police department...

‘Steps needed to ensure effective utilisation of funds’  Taking a serious note of the non-allocation and under-utilisation of resources for various government schemes, civil society organisations have sought more funds for flagship schemes in the health and education sectors in the Union budget and steps to ensure utilisation of the funds allocated. The Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability and Oxfam India said on Tuesday that there was a need...

Commission pulls up Puri district Collector  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Orissa government to register an FIR and act against persons, who illegally confined 17 persons in Puri district and extracted menial works from them under the pernicious custom of ‘bartan’, a manifestation of the bonded labour system. The Commission, which pulled up the district Collector, told the government to take action against the officials who failed...