SCHEDULE CASTE & SCHEDULE TRIBES ACT

 It is an important developing law pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes embodied in Prevention of Atrocities Act placed on the Statute Book of India as (Act No. 33 of 1989). Before the enactment of this Act, Cases pertaning to Scheduled Castes adn Scheduled Tribes were tried under the law of Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the normal provisions of the Indian Penal Code, But it was felt that these provisions were inadequate to check these crimes, therefore, this special legislation to check and deter crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes committed by Non-Scheduled Castes And Non-Scheduled Tribes became necessary.

      In this Encyclopaedic work an attempt has been made to collect as far as possible various Acts and Rules of the Central and States apart from section wise commentaries on the twin Acts namely the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,1989 and the Protection of Civil Rights ACT, 1955 wherein up-to-date case law inclusive of leading case of the Supreme Court on Mondal Commission running into 285 printed pages viz. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, [A.I.R. 1993 S.C. 477] has been discussed and arranged under heads and sub heads for ready reference. Why collection of as many as 37 inter-connected and relevant Acts, Rules and Orders etc. of various States and Centrebecame necessary because these laws are scattered in dozens of volumes of GAzettes of India and of States and it often becomes difficult to know what the operative law at a particular time is without the complete knowledge of these laws. As a result not only the citizens whose rights are determined by these laws but even the judiciary and executive who are to administer justice, and implement the laws are some times caught unaware without the complete information of these laws and their existence and contents.