{"id":118693,"date":"2026-08-12T11:19:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T05:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=118693"},"modified":"2026-08-12T11:19:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T05:49:42","slug":"prevention-of-atrocities-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/prevention-of-atrocities-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 &#8211; Protection, Relief and Rehabilitation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Prevention of Atrocities Act News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Central task force and the <\/span><b>National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have proposed changes to strengthen the implementation of the <\/span><b>SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including enhanced compensation, counselling and protection of tribal livelihoods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, is a special legislation enacted to prevent atrocities against members of the<\/span><b> Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, provide relief and rehabilitation to victims, and establish mechanisms for dealing with such offences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act recognises that members of SC and ST communities can face forms of violence, humiliation, social exclusion, dispossession and exploitation linked to their social identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It therefore provides safeguards beyond those available under general criminal law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act came into force in <\/span><b>1990<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and was subsequently strengthened through amendments, particularly in <\/span><b>2015 and 2018<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Key Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act identifies a range of acts that constitute atrocities when committed against SC\/ST persons.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include offences involving physical violence, humiliation, social discrimination, dispossession from land and interference with rights and dignity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also provides for:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special and Exclusive Special Courts for the speedy trial of offences.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special Public Prosecutors for conducting cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relief and rehabilitation for victims and their dependents.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preventive measures by governments and district authorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protection of victims and witnesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The law, therefore, combines <\/span><b>criminal justice, victim compensation and preventive administration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>2015 Amendments<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2015 amendments expanded the list of offences covered under the Act and strengthened the rights of victims. They also introduced provisions relating to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presumption in certain circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protection of victims and witnesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater accountability of public servants for wilful neglect of duties.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishment of Exclusive Special Courts in appropriate cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>2018 Amendment<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2018 amendment was introduced following widespread protests by SC and ST communities after a Supreme Court judgment concerning safeguards against alleged misuse of the Act.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amendment restored the position that <\/span><b>no prior approval is required for the arrest<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of a person accused under the Act, subject to the statutory framework, and that <\/span><b>anticipatory bail is not ordinarily available<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in cases under the Act, subject to the Supreme Court&#8217;s constitutional interpretation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The task force&#8217;s current recommendations seek changes primarily to the <\/span><b>Rules framed under the Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while the NCST has separately proposed amendments to the <\/span><b>Act itself<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>News Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An internal task force headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has recommended amendments to the SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the major proposals is to increase the relief and rehabilitation amounts provided to victims and their dependents to account for inflation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, the prescribed relief ranges from Rs. 85,000 to Rs. 8.25 lakh, depending on the seriousness of the offence and the extent of injury or harm suffered. These amounts were fixed in 2016.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The task force has also proposed establishing special relief and rehabilitation cells in States and Union Territories to strengthen implementation and ensure that assistance reaches victims more effectively.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Counselling and Faster Case Processing<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed amendments also include counselling mechanisms for <\/span><b>victims, their dependants and accused persons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another recommendation is that <\/span><b>FIRs and chargesheets should be forwarded to the concerned government officials within 24 hours<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The objective is to improve administrative monitoring and ensure that cases do not face unnecessary delays.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recommendations were contained in a report submitted to the Centre in<\/span><b> July 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>NCST Proposals for Tribal Land and Livelihoods<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Separately, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes-ncst\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>National Commission for Scheduled Tribes<\/b><\/a><b> (NCST)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has suggested amendments to the SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key concern is the protection of the livelihoods of Scheduled Tribe communities whose land has been alienated and who become involved in prolonged legal disputes over their land.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NCST has also called for measures to prevent the registration of &#8220;counter FIRs&#8221; against individuals who report atrocity cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such cases can potentially place additional pressure on victims and discourage reporting of offences.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These recommendations underline that protection under the Act is not limited to criminal prosecution but also involves safeguarding the economic and social security of vulnerable communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Parliamentary Panel on Scholarship Delays<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A related issue concerning the welfare of SC and other disadvantaged communities has also been highlighted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee examined the Ministry&#8217;s action taken on its recommendations concerning the Demands for Grants for 2026-27. Of its 25 recommendations, the government accepted 14.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee, however, rejected the government&#8217;s response on four issues and reiterated its earlier recommendations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the major concerns was the delay in disbursal of scholarships.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee had earlier found that scholarship funds were sometimes released only in the next academic year because States and Union Territories took additional time to complete application verification and other formalities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment attributed the delays primarily to the time taken by some States to complete the verification process.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee expressed dissatisfaction with this explanation, noting that the issue had persisted despite repeated observations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The panel also reiterated that the Ministry should consider revising the Rs. 8 lakh annual family income ceiling for its free coaching scheme for students belonging to SC and OBC communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Special Police Stations Under the Atrocities Act<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Parliamentary Committee also highlighted the inadequate establishment of special police stations for implementing the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It noted that only seven States and Union Territories had established such special police stations even after more than three decades of the enactment of the Atrocities Act.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government informed the committee that it had submitted a proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) seeking enhanced budgetary support for strengthening implementation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee recommended early approval of this proposal so that provisions for establishing special police stations could be included in the 2026-27 to 2030-31 expenditure cycle.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The developments highlight that effective social justice legislation requires more than strong statutory provisions. Its impact depends on timely compensation, institutional capacity, effective policing, speedy investigation, victim support and access to welfare schemes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed changes to the SC\/ST Rules and the NCST&#8217;s recommendations focus on strengthening protection after an atrocity occurs, while the Parliamentary Committee&#8217;s observations highlight the importance of timely delivery of welfare benefits and institutional mechanisms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these developments underline the need for a rights-based and implementation-oriented approach to social justice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/panel-seeks-enhanced-relief-counselling-for-scst-victims\/article71332779.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/disheartened-with-government-reply-house-panel-seeks-measures-to-fix-delay-in-scholarship-disbursal-10827173\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The SC\/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 provides legal protection against caste-based atrocities, while recent proposals seek stronger relief, rehabilitation and implementation mechanisms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":118702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,9491,22,59],"class_list":["post-118693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","tag-mains-articles","tag-prevention-of-atrocities-act","tag-upsc-current-affairs","tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs-tag","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118693"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118705,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118693\/revisions\/118705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}