Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India


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RELATIVE DISPARITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF RESERVATION POLICY IN INDIA

Introduction

In the ancient period of India, the backward castes had been denied all
kinds of social and economic endowments. Hence, they had been lagging
behind in the process of development. The social and economic
deprivation among Scheduled Castes had been most common during pre
and post-Independence. Therefore, there was a need of number of special
safeguard policies. One of that is, ‘Reservation Policy’ in the Government
Recruitment. The objective of the reservation policy is to eradicate the
social and economic disparities which existed in the society.
Article 15 (4) and 16 (4) of the Indian constitution has made provision of
reservation for backward classes in educational institutions and public
employment. The reservation policy has to be followed by both, Central
and State government. “When the first Backward Classes Commission was
constituted on 29th January, 1953 under the chairmanship of Kakasaheb
Kalelkar, he wanted economic backwardness to be the criterion and not
caste in deciding backwardness. But he had to field to the majority of the
members who wanted caste to be the criterion, to decide the backwardness”.

An Overview of Scheduled Castes: Past and Present

The ‘Sudras’ were classified as inferior and the last varna to other three
varnas, in ancient social system in India. Along with this several social,
economic and political restrictions were imposed on them. This classified
‘Sudras’ includes various caste groups, which have suffered social and
economic inequity since ages. They had to stay outside the village. The
concept of pollution was attached to them and they were treated as
untouchable castes.2 These untouchables or castes were officially defined
as depressed castes in 1932 and they were systematically listed in the
1931-Census of India. Gandhi named the untouchables as ‘Harijans’.
‘Hari’ means ‘God’ and ‘Jan’ means ‘People’, i.e. ‘People of God’. The
meaning of this word in Hindi, Marathi and other languages is, ‘ a child,
whose father’s identity is unknown’.3 Therefore the name ‘Harijan’ was
opposed and hated by the untouchables.