Continuing Discrimination Against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Historically, present-day Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe have suffered from various types of social exclusion, discrimination, and caste oppression under the traditional caste system. In the field of education, they were not allowed to acquire the knowledge. In the economic sphere, they were not allowed to accumulate wealth and were compelled to work for three classes above them (Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya). In the social and cultural sphere, they were condemned to live a life of stigma and shame. In independent India caste-based disabilities and discrimination was abolished. Besides, many provisions (including the provision of reservation) were made in the constitution of India to bring their social, economic, and educational development at par with their High Caste counterparts. Consequently, their social, economic, and educational development have improved in the post-independence period. However, empirical evidence presented in the paper suggests that centuries-old caste prejudices were used as an instrument by the High Castes to preserve traditional social, economic, and educational gain. Thus, this paper enquires about social, economic, and educational loss to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and gain to High Castes at the cost of depriving them (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) from the same.