Situating Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Post-2015 Development Framework

Overview

Marginalized groups in India such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are making much slower progress than other social groups in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). How would a post-2015 development framework incorporate their concerns into its strategies and indicators? How would it address the issues of identity-based exclusion and discrimination in countries like India where nearly one-quarter of the population suffers from such social exclusion despite the existence of constitutional safeguards? How should stakeholders such as UN agencies, donor agencies, governments, civil society organizations, NGOs, academia and the private sector engage in post-2015 development goals?

This paper argues for a development framework that ensures faster reduction in poverty and inequality for India’s most vulnerable groups; that eliminates all forms of discrimination against them and ensures social inclusion with dignity.