Report of the Commissioner For Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes For the Year 1955; (Fifth Report)

New Delhi: Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 1956. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. Format is approximately 7.25 inches by 9.75 inches. [8], 235, [1]] and maps (including folding) at back. Decorative cover. Front cover worn, soiled, cresed and torn, especially at top near spine. Ink notations on title page. Illustrations (including fold-outs within the text. Front cover says Part I. This does not appear to include Part II Appendices which may be a separate volume. Rare surviving copy. The author was the Commissioner for Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes and also served in Indian elective office. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designated in one or other of the categories. In modern literature, the Scheduled Castes are sometimes referred to as Dalit, meaning "broken" or "dispersed". The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes comprise about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population (2011 census). The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 lists 1,108 castes across 28 states in its First Schedule, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were given Reservation status, guaranteeing political representation, preference in promotion, quota in universities, free and stipended education, scholarships, banking services, government schemes and the Constitution lays down the general principles of positive discrimination for SCs and STs. The evolution of Lower caste to modern-day Scheduled Castes is complex. The caste system as a stratification of classes in India originated about 2,000 years ago, and has been influenced by dynasties and ruling elites, including the Mughal Empire and the British Raj. The Hindu concept of Varna historically incorporated occupation-based communities.[14] Some low-caste groups, such as those formerly called untouchables who constitute modern-day Scheduled Castes, were considered outside the Varna system. Since the 1850s, these communities were loosely referred to as Depressed Classes, with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.The early 20th century saw a flurry of activity in the British authorities assessing the feasibility of responsible self-government for India. The Morley–Minto Reforms Report, Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Report and the Simon Commission were several initiatives in this context. A highly contested issue in the proposed reforms was the reservation of seats for representation of the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislatures.
In 1935, the UK Parliament passed the Government of India Act 1935, designed to give Indian provinces greater self-rule and set up a national federal structure. The reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into the act, which came into force in 1937. The Act introduced the term "Scheduled Castes", defining the group as "such castes, parts of groups within castes, which appear to His Majesty in Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly known as the 'Depressed Classes', as His Majesty in Council may prefer". This discretionary definition was clarified in The Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936, which contained a list (or Schedule) of castes throughout the British-administered provinces. After independence the Constituent Assembly continued the prevailing definition of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, giving (via articles 341 and 342) the president of India and governors of the states a mandate to compile a full listing of castes and tribes (with the power to edit it later, as required). The complete list of castes and tribes was made via two orders: The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, respectively. Furthermore, independent India's quest for inclusivity was incident through the appointment of B. R. Ambedkar as the chair of the drafting committee for the Constitution. Ambedkar was a scheduled caste constitutional lawyer, a member of the low caste.
Condition: Fair / No dust jacket issued.

Keywords: Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Social Disabilities, Executive Measures, Gram Panchayats, Backward Classes, Five Year Plan, Anglo-Indians

[Book #84999]

Price: $500.00

See all items by