NHRC discusses on issues faced by SC, STs

New Delhi [India], June 23 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday held a discussion on the issues and challenges faced by the Schedules Caste (SC) and Schedules Tribes (ST) community.

The event was titled, "Prevention of Atrocities and Other Forms of Discrimination Against SC/ST Community: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward".

In the discussion, Dr Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, NHRC Member said that atrocities and discrimination against the SC and ST communities have not stopped despite legal provisions.

Mulay said that the deliberation aimed to take stock of the various provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and to identify the gaps between the legal provisions and their implementation. He added that continued efforts need to be made for the social and economic emancipation of the SC and ST communities.

Mulay quoted some recent media reports on the violence and discrimination against SC and ST communities. He said that in addition to ensuring the implementation of the SC/ST Act, people should be educated and the conviction of those violating their human rights needs to be ensured to serve as a deterrent.

Earlier in the session, Devendra Kumar Nim, Joint Secretary of NHRC pointed out that the atrocities against the SC/ST communities and their low conviction rate are concerning.

The discussion centred around the impact of the SC/ST Act and how it can be strengthened, the ways to strengthen the administrative regime for the prevention of atrocities on SC/STs and how to address the concerns over incidences of discrimination in education and employment in various institutions and departments.

Besides NHRC Registrar (Law), Surajit Dey, and senior officers from the NHRC, representatives from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Delhi Police, domain experts, academicians, representatives of civil society and NGOs also participated.

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