Report of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, for the year 2017

FOCUS

This report was released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India in 2018. The 1990 edition of the Report of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was the first in the series. The present is the 24th instalment.

It uses data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau to publish state-wise numbers of cases registered under the PoA Act between 2015 and 2017. Furthermore, the report uses information submitted by each state and union territory to review the steps taken to minimise atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). In accordance with the provisions set out under Section 21(4) of the PoA Act, the annual report is presented to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 aims to prevent specific atrocities against marginalised communities in India. It makes various offences against these communities punishable and provides for relief and rehabilitation to the victims. The Act was amended in 2015 and 2018. The report notes that the responsibility of implementing the PoA act is vested with the governments of the states and union territories, who may constitute special committees and SC/ST protection cells.

The 141-page report contains five chapters and four annexures: Introduction (Chapter 1); Structures and mechanisms established for implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Chapter 2); Action by the police and the courts in cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, during 2016 (Chapter 3); Measures taken by the Government of India (Chapter 4); Measures taken by the state governments and union territory administrations (Chapter 5).

The annexures include Extract of Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Annexure I); State-wise number of cases registered with police and their disposal during the year, 2016 (Annexure II); State-wise number of cases with courts and their disposal during the year, 2016 (Annexure III); and Details of central assistance released to states/union territory administrations during 2017-18 (Annexure IV).

    FACTOIDS

  1. The report underlines the duties and responsibilities of the central and state governments to ensure the implementation of the Act. Such measures include provisions for legal aid to the victims of atrocities, provisions for travel and stays of witnesses, social and economic rehabilitation of victims of atrocities, periodic surveys to determine the efficacy of the act, and the identification of areas where members of SC and ST communities are particularly vulnerable to atrocities.

  2. Section 14 of the PoA Act provides for Special Courts for the speedy trial of cases of atrocities against SCs and STs. For this purpose, 25 states and five union territories have designated specific district session courts as Special Courts. Furthermore, 157 districts in 12 states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat among others) have Exclusive Special Courts to try cases under this Act.

  3. The states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have set up 131 special police stations for registration of complaints and investigating atrocities against people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

  4. The PoA Rules outline provisions for the identification of atrocity prone areas. The report lists the following states/union territories as atrocity prone areas: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerela, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

  5. In 2017, 50,094 cases of atrocities against SCs and STs were registered under the PoA Act, compared to 47,338 in 2016. Also in 2017, 91.5 per cent of such cases were pending in court and 34.4 per cent had ended in conviction.

  6. As per the report, in 2016, the most cases of atrocities against SCs and STs were registered (under the PoA Act in conjunction with the Indian Penal Code) in the state of Uttar Pradesh (10,430) with 10,426 cases of atrocities against SCs and four cases of atrocities against STs. Madhya Pradesh (6,745) had the second highest figures with 4,922 and 1,823 cases concerning SCs and STs respectively. Rajasthan (6,329) was a close third with 5,134 and 1,195 cases.

  7. The report states that 11 states cumulatively accounted for the total 93.3 per cent (38,053) of cases of atrocities committed against the members of the Scheduled Castes in 2016. Of these 11, Uttar Pradesh registered the highest number of cases (10,426) whereas Tamil Nadu registered the least (1,287).

  8. Additionally, 11 states accounted for 97.5 per cent (6,398) of the total cases of atrocities against members of the Scheduled Tribes in 2016. Of these 11, the highest number were registered in Madhya Pradesh (1,823) and the lowest in Kerala (182).

  9. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the central government provided financial assistance of Rs. 355.8 crores to 23 states and two union territories during 2017-2018.


    Focus and Factoids by Ashish Singh.

AUTHOR

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India

COPYRIGHT

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India

PUBLICATION DATE

2018

TAGS

#marginalised-communities #scheduled-tribes #act #prevention-of-atrocities #scheduled-castes

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