Lok Sabha Question No. 4107 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Non-beneficiary Oriented Schemes
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Sagar Eshwar Khandre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4107 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2026

## NON-BENEFICIARY ORIENTED SCHEMES

## 4107. SHRI SAGAR ESHWAR KHANDRE:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) has   reviewed the   effectiveness,  transparency and outcome monitoring of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Sub-Plan expenditure in the Ministries, if SO, the main findings of such review;
- (6) whether the Government has identified any Ministries or Departments that continue to include non-beneficiary-oriented schemes under the SC/ST Sub-Plan and the corrective steps taken to prevent misclassification or diversion of funds, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to introduce & real-time digital dashboard for tracking of SCIST Sub-Plan allocations and outcomes, particularly in backward regions, district-wise, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government plans to strengthen accountability mechanisms such as thirdparty audits, social audits and district-level monitoring to ensure proper utilisation of SC/ST Sub Plan funds, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

- (a) & (b): As per the guidelines issued by NITI Aayog in the year 2017 for earmarking of funds for Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (DAPSCIST), the obligated Ministries/Departments are to earmark funds under the relevant schemes and such fund allocation should be based on the scheme specific budget instead of the total budget of the Ministry/Department:

For ensuring effective implementation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Sub Plan for enabling the concerned Ministries to plan, implement and monitor the Allocation for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes & Tribes (AWSC&T) in right earnest and spirit; various steps have been taken to re-examine and re-visit the guidelines for the implementation of SCSP/ DAPSC by the NITI Aayog along with the Nodal Ministries For further constraints; if any; such as, when exemptions are sought sometimes by certain obligated Ministries/Departments regarding allocation of DAPSC funds, the nodal Department of SJE in consultation with NITI Aayog provides them the guidance from time to time and ensures that such funds are utilized appropriately: The   Department   continuously works with NITI Aayog to ensure that the DAPSC funds are fully utilized for the welfare of SCs:

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has been entrusted the task of monitoring of Scheduled Caste Sub Plan/DAPSC based on the overall framework designed by NITI Aayog: Review meetings are held under the chairmanship of Minister (SJ&E) and Secretary (SJ&E) with the participation from the 38 Ministries/Departments. On the basis the deliberations in the review meetings, the Ministries/Departments are advised to design the schemes s0 as to ensure that a greater number of beneficiaries are covered under the benefits provided under the welfare schemes.

Similarly,   Ministry of Tribal Affairs is   implementing Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) as a strategy for the development of Scheduled Tribes and areas having tribal concentration in the country. Besides Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 41 Ministries[Departments are allocating certain percentage of their total scheme budget every year for tribal development under DAPST for various tribal development projects relating to education, health; agriculture, irrigation, roads; housing; electrification; employment generation, skill development, etc  Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) convenes meetings with obligated Ministries/Departments from time to time to review the implementation of guidelines, allocation and expenditure of DAPST funds: The obligated Ministries/Departments are to ensure full and effective utilization of the allocated funds through regular correspondence. urged

NITI Aayog having Members from the Department of Expenditure; Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment; Ministry of Tribal Affairs, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to review the existing modalities and develop new framework for DAPSC/ DAPST. The Expert Committee deliberated the performance of allocation and utilization by the obligated Ministries/Departments and is in the process of developing new guidelines for effective implementation of SCSP/ DAPSC and TSP/ DAPST mechanism of allocation of resources for welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes:

(c): As per the formats   designed by  NITI Aayog,  Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has prepared a web-portal e-utthaan https:JLe-utthaangovinL which captures on-line data from 38 Ministries/Departments on the financial, physical and outcome-based monitoring indicators across 229 schemes identified under DAPSC. This portal has been linked with Public Financial Management System (PFMS) Similarly, an on-line monitoring system   has been in place by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs   with web-site  address: for monitoring of DAPST funds. The framework captures data directly from PFMS and enable the Ministry to see the expenditure vis-a-vis allocations of different Ministries/Departments under DAPST. put gov.in

(d): All the schemes (including those having funds earmarked under DAPSC and DAPST) being   implemented by various   Ministries/Departments are   audited by of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and also have a provision for a third party audit for further continuation of the scheme or for the mid-term course correction.

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