I. The Scheduled Castes: On the recommendation of the Government of Independent India, the President in October 1950 included a number of castes as 'Scheduled Castes' in the constitution Indian Under Art. 34 (SC) and 342 (ST). With this, they enjoy the benefits of development and welfare schemes. There are more than 700 scheduled castes in our country. Chamar, Dusadh, Dom, Pasi, Mehtar, Balai, Adi-dravid etc. are numerically dominant Scheduled Castes. The scheduled castes now identify themselves as Dalit. It is the change of social norms in independent India that has elevated them to the posts of Chief Minister of States like Bihar and U.P., and the President of India. SCS constitute nearly 15% of the total population of the country. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, show a maximum concentration of Sca. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar each have a scheduled caste population exceeding ten millions. The state of Punjab has 29.6 percent and the state of Himachal Pradesh has 21.2 percent SC population. In fact, the Indo-Gangetic plain alone has 51 percent of the total SC population in the country. The mountainous regions of U.P., HP., all north-eastern States, Karnataka and Maharashtra have low concentration of Schedule Castes. SCs have been given reservations in educational institutions, jobs, state assemblies and the Parliament.

II. Problem related to Poverty of the Scheduled Castes:

The Scheduled Castes were deprived of their economic rights. So they remained poor and dependent upon others. The problems associated with the poverty of Scheduled Castes are as follows:

1. Material Deprivation: The Scheduled Castes were not allowed to have house, land, animals, ornaments, etc. So they were deprived of material possessions.

2. Landlessness: The Scheduled Castes did not own land for the purpose of residence and agriculture. They lived in huts erected on the land of the master and worked as agricultural labour as good as a bounded labour.

3. Educational Backwardness: Due to deprivation and poor socio-economic conditions, the Scheduled Castes did not attend school and remained backward educationally. After independence, schools have been thrown open for them. 

But it has not been possible to enroll all children of SC in schools.

4. Employment and Government Service: After independence, some of them have been employed in government jobs like sweepers, watchman, peon, etc. Now, some of them have received higher education and are well placed. But the majority of them survive as agricultural labourers, where they are exploited in the payment of wages.

5. Indebtedness and Bonded Labour: A majority of families of Scheduled Caste are not in a position to take two meals daily. So they have to take loans for the purpose of consumption. Banks do not give them loans for it. They have to take loans from their employers at a high rate of interest. Because of their indebtedness, their inability to pay the capital with interest, they end up becoming bonded labourers. They lose freedom of all kinds and receive nominal wages.

6. Health and Nutrition: The house of a SCs may not have window, urinal, latrine and drain. They live with cattle in the same room. They discharge urine and night soil on the street. They throw cow dung, ash and domestic waste in the street. They do not have pucca wells and hand pumps for drinking water. They live in unhygienic conditions. Because of poverty, they are often victims of malnutrition and undernourishment.

7. Atrocities: The Scheduled Castes have to face the problem of atrocities. Their houses are burnt; their animals, goat and chicken are snatched away, women are subjected to humiliation. They are beaten mercilessly. They are also murdered and killed in groups. These are the forms of atrocities to which they are subjected to when they dare to resist and demand their social, economic or political rights.