• 1-->   1st Plan Expenditure
• 2-->   2nd Plan Expenditure
• 3-->   3rd Plan Expenditure
• 4-->   Plan Holiday Expenditure
• 5-->   4th Plan Expenditure
• 7-->   6th Plan Expenditure
• 8-->   7th Plan Expenditure
• 9-->   1990-92 Expenditure
• 10--> 8th Plan Expenditure
• 11--> 9th Plan Outlay. (Center Sector)
• 12--> 9th Plan Expenditure (Center Sector)
• 13--> 10th Plan Outlay. (Center Sector)

Commitment in NCMP The UPA government has set six basic principles for governance. One of them is "To provide for full equality of opportunity, particularly in education and employment for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and religious minorities". Besides, the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the UPA Government contains following provisions aimed at the welfare and empowerment of these communities :

1. UPA Government will take immediate steps to reverse the trend of communalisation of education that had set in the past five-years.



2. Steps will be taken to remove the communalisation of the school syllabus that has taken place in the past five-years. A review committee of experts will be set up for this purpose.



3. The UPA will ensure that nobody is denied professional education because he or she is poor.



4. All reservation quotas, including those relating to promotions, will be fulfilled in a time bound manner. To codify all reservations, a Reservation Act will be enacted.



5. The UPA Government is very sensitive to the issue of affirmative action, including reservations, in the private sector.
Special provisions : After independence, the Government of India has taken number of steps to strengthen the educational base of the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Pursuant to the National Policy on Education-1986 and the Programme of Action (POA)-1992, the following special provisions for SCs and STs have been incorporated in the existing schemes of the Departments of Elementary Education and Literacy and Secondary and Higher Education :


1. relaxed norms for opening of primary/middle schools; a primary school within one km walking distance from habitations of population up to 200 instead of habitations of up to 300 population.



2. Abolition of tuition fee in all States in Government Schools at least up to the upper primary level. In fact, most of the states have abolished tuition fees for SC/ST students up to the senior secondary level.



3. Incentives like free textbooks, uniforms, stationery, schools bags, etc., for these students.



4. The Constitutional (86th Amendment) Bill, notified on 13 December 2002, provides for free and compulsory elementary education as a Fundamental Right, for all children in the age group of 6-14 years.



5. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) : Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a historic stride towards achieving the long cherished goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) through a time bound integrated approach, in partnership with States. SSA, which promises to change the face of elementary education sector of the country, aims to provide useful and quality elementary education to all children in the 6-14 age group by 2010.



The main features of the programme are :


1. Focus on girls, especially belonging to SC/ST communities and minority groups.



2. Back to school campus for out of school girls.



3. Free textbooks for girls.



4. Special coaching remedial classes for girls and a congenial learning environment.



5. Teachers’ sensitisation programmes to promote equitable learning opportunities.



6. Special focus for innovative projects related to girls education.



7. Recruitment of 50 per cent female teachers.

Literacy campaigns have had an enormous impact on other social sectors. The campaigns have served the cause of promoting equity and social justice in society and fostering of a scientific temper and a sense of belonging to India’s great composite culture and consciousness of unity in diversity.

Under the Scheme of strengthening of Boarding and Hostel Facilities for Girls Students of Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools cent percent financial assistance is given to Voluntary Organisations to improve enrolment of adolescent girls belonging to rural areas and weaker sections. Preference is given to educationally backward districts particularly those predominately inhabited by SCs/STs and educationally backward minorities.

Out of 43,000 scholarships at the secondary stage for talented children from rural areas 13,000 scholarships are awarded to SC/ST students subject to fulfillment of criteria laid down.

NCERT focuses on the development of textbooks, teacher guides, supplementary reading materials, evaluation of textbooks, vocational education, educational technology, examination reforms, support to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), education of educationally disadvantaged groups.

NCERT operates the National Talent Search Scheme for pursuing courses in science and social science up to doctoral level and in professional courses like medicine and engineering up to second-degree level subject to fulfillment of the conditions. Out of 1000 scholarships, 150 scholarships are reserved for SC students and 75 scholarships for ST students.

As per the reservation policy, UGC has earmarked 15 per cent and 7.50 per cent reservation for SCs and STs respectively in appointments, both in teaching and non-teaching posts, admissions, hostel accommodation, etc., in universities/ colleges, professional and technical educational institutions administered by the Central Government. State universities follow reservation policy as prescribed by respective state governments. The commission has been issuing guidelines/ directives/instructions from time to time for implementing reservation policy of the Government of India. Apart from reservation, there is also relaxation in the minimum qualifying marks for admission for SC/ST candidates UGC has been implementing the programme of Career Orientation to education (vocationalisation of education) to ensure that the graduates have knowledge, skills and attitudes for gainful employment in the wage sector in general, and self-employment in particular for all including SCs/STs. It also provides financial assistance for Remedial Coaching to SC/ST students. It provides financial assistance to the existing coaching centres to prepare SC/ST candidates for the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC/CSIR. The Commission provides financial assistance for extension activities. Under the scheme, all groups of the society are covered including SCs/STs.

In order to contribute towards social equity and socioeconomic mobility of the under privileged sections of the society, UGC has introduced remedial coaching scheme at UG/PG level. The main objectives of the scheme are: (i) to improve the academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students in various subjects. (ii) To raise the level of comprehension of basic subjects so as to provide a strong foundation for further academic work. (iii) To strengthen their knowledge, skills and attitudes in the subjects where quantitative and qualitative techniques and laboratory work are involved and (iv) To improve the overall performance of these students in the examination.

The Commission has created a Central Pool Database of eligible SC/ST candidates and recommends their candidature for teaching positions in order to fulfill the prescribed reservation quota in universities and colleges.

Periodic meetings of Registrars of Central Universities are organised to review the implementation of reservation policy in the Central Universities. A Special Monitoring Committee reviews the functioning of existing Cells.

The achievements made in the literacy rates of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are also significant compared to those in the 1991 Census, i.e. 37.41 per cent and 29.41 per cent respectively. Besides, the growth in female literacy amongst the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is also at a faster rate as compared to male literacy figures.