Constitutional provisions for scs and sts in India: an analysis

India is the second largest country of the world after and it has got roughly constitute 25 per cent of its total population scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The Constitution of India provides for a number of safeguards for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes which are of its unique features. The main objective of these safeguards was to level up, socially and economically backward classes, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in as short time as possible. All these safeguards have, apparently, been provided to facilitate the implementation of the Directive Principle contained in Article 46 of the Constitution. The scholars and advocates have strongly advocated the need for protective discrimination as well as affirmative action. 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. The dream of establishment of welfare society cannot be actualized if the constitutional provisions are not implemented by all the stakeholders of social justice and economic equity.