THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
A Broken Promise to 16% of India’s Population
India’s Scheduled Castes, known as Dalits, make up 16% of the country’s population. These communities have faced centuries of discrimination and exclusion. The government has a special duty to uplift them through targeted welfare programs and adequate funding. However, the 2025 Union Budget shows that the government has failed miserably in this responsibility.
Where Is the Money Really Going?
The government claims to allocate funds for Scheduled Castes, but most of this money disappears into general schemes. These are programs that anyone can access, not targeted welfare for Dalits. This is like promising to help a specific group of people who are struggling, then spending most of the money on things that help everyone equally. When you start far behind, equal treatment keeps you behind.
Dalits face specific challenges: caste-based discrimination, lower access to education, fewer economic opportunities, violence and atrocities, and social exclusion. They need targeted programs to overcome these barriers. General schemes cannot address these specific problems.
Even Protection Has Been Cut
Perhaps the most shocking part is what happened to programs meant to protect Dalits from violence and discrimination. The budget for implementing the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Civil Rights Act was actually reduced—from ₹500 crores to ₹463 crores. This is the law that protects Dalits from caste-based violence and ensures their basic rights. At a time when atrocities against Scheduled Castes continue to be reported regularly, the government has chosen to give less money for their protection.
This sends a clear message: the safety and dignity of Dalit communities is not a priority.
The Gap Between Promise and Reality
The government announces schemes with impressive names and numbers. There are entrepreneurship loans, scholarships, and livelihood programs. On paper, these look good. But when we examine the actual allocation and implementation, the reality is disappointing.
For example, while scholarship allocations have increased over the years, they remain a tiny fraction of what is needed. When 16% of the population receives only 3.32% of the budget, no amount of clever accounting can hide the basic injustice.
What Adequate Welfare Would Look Like
If the government was serious about Dalit welfare, the budget allocation should at least match their population percentage. Better still, it should exceed it to compensate for historical disadvantages and current discrimination.
Adequate welfare would mean:
(1) Budget allocation proportional to population, at minimum 16% of the total budget directed specifically toward Scheduled Caste communities
(2) Money spent on targeted programs, not diverted to general schemes that dilute the impact
(3) Increased funding for protection laws and their implementation, not cuts to these vital protections
(4) Investment in education, housing, land rights, and economic empowerment designed specifically for Dalit communities
(5) Serious action on manual scavenging, bonded labor, and other caste-based exploitation that Dalits still face
A Question of Justice
This is not about charity or handouts. This is about justice and constitutional duty. The Indian Constitution promises equality, dignity, and special provisions to uplift historically marginalized communities. When the government allocates less than 4% of its budget to 16% of its citizens who need it most, it violates this constitutional promise.
The Scheduled Castes have waited decades for genuine empowerment. They have been patient while promises were made and broken. The 2025 Budget is yet another failure in a long line of inadequate responses to a serious problem.
Conclusion
The government’s current approach to Scheduled Caste welfare is insufficient, half-hearted, and unjust. The numbers speak for themselves: 3.32% allocation for 16% of the population, with most of that diverted away from targeted welfare. Even protection from violence has been reduced.
This is not a small oversight or budget constraint. This is a fundamental failure to prioritize the welfare and dignity of millions of Indian citizens. Until the government commits adequate resources—both money and political will—to Dalit welfare, it will continue to fail in its constitutional and moral duty.
References
1.https://boldnewsonline.com/kalsotra-slams-2025-budget-for-anti-dalit-bias-calls-fund-diversion-a-grave-injustice/
2.https://prsindia.org/budgets/parliament/union-budget-2025-26-analysis
3.https://www.business-standard.com/opinion/columns/the-changing-face-of-the-dalits-budget-as-a-catalyst-for-empowerment-125013101836_1.html
4.https://countercurrents.org/2025/02/union-budget-attack-on-dalit-economic-empowerment/
5. https://www.hdfclife.com/insurance-knowledge-centre/tax-saving-insurance/budget-2025-highlights
