Indian Society
Social Empowerment
GS Paper I
Social Empowerment — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision on social empowerment: Articles, amendments, commissions, laws and judgments for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, PwDs and others.
SyllabusGS I · Social empowerment
A last-week sheet on social empowerment. Prelims tests Articles and amendments; Mains tests whether empowerment is reaching the most marginalised.
Key Articles
| Article | Content |
|---|---|
| 15(4), 15(5) | Special provisions; reservation in education |
| 16(4), 16(4A) | Reservation in jobs; promotion for SCs/STs |
| 17 | Abolition of untouchability |
| 46 | Educational and economic interests of weaker sections |
| 275(1) | Grants for ST welfare and Scheduled Areas |
| 330, 332, 334 | Reserved seats; time limit (to 2030) |
| 335 | SC/ST claims in services and efficiency |
| 338 / 338A / 338B | NCSC / NCST / NCBC |
| 340 | Commission on backward classes |
| 341 / 342 / 342A | Lists of SCs / STs / SEBCs |
Amendments
| Amendment | Change |
|---|---|
| 65th (1990) | Multi-member National Commission for SCs and STs |
| 77th (1995) | Article 16(4A) — promotion quota |
| 89th (2003) | Separate NCST (338A) |
| 102nd (2018) | NCBC constitutional (338B); Article 342A |
| 104th (2019) | SC/ST seats to 2030; Anglo-Indian nomination ended |
| 105th (2021) | States’ power to list SEBCs restored |
Laws and Cases
| Law / case | Year | Point |
|---|---|---|
| PCR Act | 1955 | Punishes untouchability |
| SC/ST (PoA) Act | 1989 | Atrocities; special courts |
| Indra Sawhney | 1992 | 27% OBC; creamy layer; 50% ceiling |
| PESA | 1996 | Panchayats in Fifth Schedule areas |
| Samatha | 1997 | Tribal land transfer restricted |
| Forest Rights Act | 2006 | Individual and community forest rights |
| Manual Scavengers Act | 2013 | Prohibition and rehabilitation |
| NALSA | 2014 | Third gender recognised |
| RPwD Act | 2016 | 21 disabilities; 4% jobs; 5% higher education |
| Transgender Persons Act | 2019 | Anti-discrimination; National Council |
| Davinder Singh | 2024 | SC sub-classification allowed |
High-yield facts
- Constitutional: NCSC, NCST, NCBC. Statutory: NCW (1990 Act), NCM (1992 Act).
- 75 PVTGs; PM JANMAN launched in November 2023.
- Rohini Commission (2017) on OBC sub-categorisation submitted its report in July 2023.
- Census 2011: 2.68 crore persons with disabilities (2.21%).
Traps
- PESA covers Fifth Schedule areas, not Sixth Schedule areas.
- Sub-classification is not the same as creamy-layer exclusion.
- The 105th Amendment, not the 102nd, restored the States’ power over SEBC lists.
Related Topics
- Social Empowerment of Weaker Sections
- Social Empowerment — practice questions
- Fundamental Rights
- All quick revision sheets
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