New Delhi: Though there has been a rise in the number of cases of atrocities against the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the national capital over the past five years, the conviction rate in such cases, at 1.02 per cent, remains negligible, a parliamentary panel said in its report that was tabled in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
The Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes raised concerns over the rise in the number of acquittals in cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
According to the information provided by the Delhi government to the panel, the number of cases registered under the SC/ST Act increased from 36 in 2018 to 141 in 2021, and witnessed a marginal drop in 2022 (130 cases were registered). This year, till 31 March, 33 cases were registered under the Act.
A total of 488 cases were registered under the Act between 2018 and March 31, 2023. However, only five of these cases resulted in convictions, leading to an average conviction rate of 1.02 per cent. During the same period, there were 65 cases (13.31 percent) that ended in acquittal.
“The number of people convicted under SC/ST PoA Act 1989 is rather negligible, while on the other hand, the number of acquittals has been on rise,” the committee said in its report on the ‘Implementation of Reservation Policy in Government of NCT of Delhi including socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes’.
It added, “The Committee notes that cases registered under the SC/ST PoA Act 1989 have been on rise in Delhi. The Committee is dismayed to note that the number of cases pending trial at the end of each year has been steadily increasing since 2018 from 344 to 487 cases pending at the end of year 2022.”
The panel has sought a response from the Delhi government regarding the reasons for pendency of cases awaiting trial, despite there being 11 Special Courts to fast track these cases.
The committee also pointed out other issues regarding vacant posts of teachers in colleges and a shortfall at the top level of bureaucracy in the state government.
ThePrint reached the Delhi government for a comment. The article will be updated if and when a response is received.
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Inadequate number of SC/ST staff in colleges, Delhi govt
The committee observed that the colleges under the jurisdiction of Delhi Government did not have the requisite percentage of teaching staff from SC and ST category.
“It is pertinent to mention that Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, a renowned university in Delhi, holds NIL percentage of SC/ST in teaching staff. Such figures present a grim picture about representation/reservation of SCs/STs in the faculty side of the colleges under the jurisdiction of Delhi government,” the report said.
Asking the government to provide reasons for such a shortfall and remedial action planned by it, the panel added, “The Committee is perplexed to note that in metro cities like Delhi, where trained professionals of SC/ST categories are in abundance, there should be no dearth of well qualified and deserving SC/ST candidate for teaching posts (sic).”
Like the central government, the Delhi government, too, has a shortfall of senior level officials from the SC/ST category. According to the data provided by the Delhi government, till April 17, 2023, there was a shortfall of 23.35 per cent in Group A category, 25.83 per cent in Group B, and 17.50 per cent in Group C.
“Further, the percentage of STs has been on the lower side among all categories of posts,” the report added. “Though the Committee has been informed that all the departments have been directed to complete the Special Recruitment drive by 15.08.2023, they would like to be apprised of the progress made in this regard.”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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