COMMITTEE FOR SCs (Syllabus GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Union government has formed a five-member committee of Secretaries, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

Committee for Sub categorization of SCs

• Formation of the committee: January 2023.
• Members: Secretaries from the Home Ministry, Law Ministry, Tribal Affairs Ministry, and Social Justice Ministry, is mandated to explore various strategies. 
• Aim: To address the dominance of relatively forward and dominant communities, responding to the demand for sub-categorization raised by the Madiga community.

Background

• Historical Struggle: The Madiga community initiated the quest for sub-categorization in 1994 through the Madiga Dandora movement.
• Persistent Advocacy (MRPS): Over the years, the movement continued with the formation of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) to advocate for sub-categorization.
• Commission Inquiries: The Madiga community has been struggling since 1994 for the sub-categorisation of SCs.

oThis demand first led to the formation of the Justice P. Ramachandra Raju Commission in 1996 and later a National Commission in 2007 - both of which had concluded that there could be ways to do this. 

Sub-Categorisation of Scheduled Caste (SCs):

• Under-representation among SCs: States argue that certain Scheduled Castes (SCs) remain under-represented despite existing reservation policies.
• Need: Many reports underline the inequality within the SCs, drawing attention to the need for addressing the disparities.
• Special Quotas: To address the under-representation, special quotas have been framed and implemented in various states.
• Initiatives in Specific States: Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar have introduced special quotas specifically targeting the most vulnerable Dalits.