The builders of Indian Republic and founding fathers of our Constitution had considered it necessary to provide specific safeguards in the constitution for the uplift of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities in India. The Central and State Governments have also launched several welfare and developmental programs to fulfill the constitutional obligations in free India in order to make SC/ST communities catch up other sections of Indian society in the race for social, economic, political and cultural progress. It is distressing to note that the gains of development have not yet reached the intended classes to the desired extent. Despite various measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities remain weak and vulnerable in all spheres of human life in India. The relevance and utility of constitutional provisions for SCs/STs in India is examined in this article which is based on an extensive review of literature.
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