Implementation of the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan in Rajasthan: Policy Framework, Budgetary Allocations and Development Outcomes

Management

The present research paper analyzes the implementation, planning, budget allocation and expenditure under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) in Rajasthan. It is noteworthy that in order to promote the socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and to eliminate various developmental inequalities in the country, the strategy of the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan was adopted in 1979 (previously known as the "Special Component Plan" before 2007). The Planning Commission of India issued guidelines to the Union Government and all State Governments regarding the implementation of the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP), along with Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). According to these guidelines, the Union and State Governments are required to allocate and spend a proportion of their plan budgets under the SCSP corresponding to the population share of SCs as well as under the TSP for tribals. The paper examines budgetary allocations under the SCSP during the period 2010–11 to 2025–26 in relation to the prescribed norms, and also analyses the socio-economic status of SCs in Rajasthan. As per 2011 Census, the proportion of SCs in total population of Rajasthan is about 17.8%. Therefore, allocations and utilization for SCSP should ideally be 17.8% of total plan budget of the state. However, the implementation of this Sub-Plan in the state has remained quite low, as the budgetary allocations and utilization for the SCSP in the state are well below the prescribed norms. The paper indicates positive trend in a number of indicators over the years such as literacy, work participation and poverty reduction among Scheduled Castes, however, in comparison to state average, SCs continue to lag behind in a number of indicators in the area of education, health and higher education enrolment among others. The paper discusses implications of changes in the policy environment over the years, particularly with the abolition of plan and non-plan classification of budget in 2017–18 and various mechanisms adopted by the state in the years since to continue sub-plan provisioning. Consequently, in recent years, there has been a growing demand across the country for enacting laws to ensure the effective implementation of the sub-plans. The paper also discusses recent policy developments at the state-level in this regard such as enactment of the “The Rajasthan State Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Fund (Planning, Allocation and Utilization of Financial Resources) Act, 2022”. The paper concludes by noting the need for continued policy focus, coordination across departments and strengthening of planning and monitoring processes to enhance the role and contributions of SCSP towards inclusive and equitable development of SCs in the state.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.