Lok Sabha Question No. 1775 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Incidents of Atrocities against Dalits
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1775 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2026

## INCIDENTS OF ATROCITIES AGAINST DALITS

## $1775. SHRI BHAUSAHEB RAJARAM WAKCHAURE:

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

- (a) whether there has been a rapid increase in incidents of atrocities against dalit communities in the country, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take appropriate steps for the protection of the dalit communities, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to amend The Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to make it more stringent and issue guidelines to the State Governments for its strict compliance, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and publishes statistical data on crimes in its publication 'Crime in India'. The published reports are available till the year 2023. As per the NCRB data number of cases registered under crime/atrocities against Scheduled Castes during 2021, 2022 and 2023, are 50,900, 57,582 and 57,789 respectively. State/UT-wise number of cases registered under crime/atrocities against Scheduled Castes during the year 2023 is at Annexure I.

Growing awareness, wider publicity and sensitization of Police personnel through capacity building are some of the reasons for more cases being registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (PoA) Act, 1989.

- (b): The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was enacted to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) with the objective of delivering greater justice to SCs and STs. The SC and ST (PoA) Act, 1989 was amended by the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, and was enforced with effect from 26.01.2016 to provide for following additional provisions for protection of SCs and STs:
- a. Establishment of exclusive special courts for the speedy trial of offences of atrocities against the members of SCs and STs.
- b. Specifies Exclusive Special Public Prosecutor to try offences in Exclusive Special Courts.
- c. Addition of several new offences of atrocities which are derogatory to the dignity of members of SCs and STs such as imposing social or economic boycott, dedicating a SC/ST woman as a devdasi etc.
- d. Inserts a new chapter relating to "Rights of Victims and Witnesses".
- e. Imposing certain duties and responsibilities upon the State for making necessary arrangement for protection of victims, their defendants and witnesses.

The aforesaid Act was further amended in 2018, which provides (a) Preliminary enquiry shall not be required for registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against any person under the Act and (b) The investigating officer shall not require approval for the arrest, if necessary, of any person, against whom an accusation of having committed an offence under this Act has been made and no procedure other than that provided under this Act or the Code shall apply. Further, the provisions of section 438 of the Code shall not apply to a case under this Act, notwithstanding any judgment or order or direction of any Court.

(c) There is no proposal to amend the SC & ST (PoA) Act, 1989, as the Act has already been amended in the year 2016 and 2018 to make its provisions more stringent in the interest of victims and witnesses.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment regularly monitors the implementation of the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 and issues directions to the States/UTs through advisories, Chintan Shivirs, and monthly review meetings for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.

Ministry of Home Affairs at its level from time to time, issues advisories to the State Governments/UT Administrations to implement the provisions of the POA Act and Rules in letter and spirit.

The annexure referred to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1775, Incidents of Atrocities Against Dalits, showing the details of State-wise number of cases registered under the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 for the year 2023

| SL           | State/UT                   | Number of cases registered during 2023   |
|--------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1            | Andhra Pradesh             | 2027                                     |
| 2            | Arunachal Pradesh          |                                          |
| 3            | Assam                      | 5                                        |
|              | Bihar                      | 7064                                     |
|              | Chhattisgarh               | 250                                      |
|              | Goa                        | 4                                        |
| 7            | Gujarat                    | 1373                                     |
|              | Haryana                    | 1539                                     |
| 9            | Himachal Pradesh           | 229                                      |
|              | Jharkhand                  | 604                                      |
| =            | Karnataka                  | 1923                                     |
| 12           | Kerala                     | 1128                                     |
|              | Madhya Pradesh             | 8232                                     |
| 14           | Maharashtra                | 3024                                     |
|              | Manipur                    | 0                                        |
| 16           | Meghalaya                  | 0                                        |
| 17           | Mizoram                    | 0                                        |
|              | Nagaland                   |                                          |
| 19           | Odisha                     | 2696                                     |
| 20           | Punjab                     | 116                                      |
|              | Rajasthan                  | 8449                                     |
| 22           | Sikkim                     | 0                                        |
| 23           | Tamil Nadu                 | 1921                                     |
| 24           | Telangana                  | 1709                                     |
| 25           | Tripura                    | 0                                        |
| 26           | Uttar Pradesh              | 15130                                    |
| 27           | Uttarakhand                | 102                                      |
| 28           | West Bengal                | 102                                      |
| 29           | A&N Islands                | 0                                        |
| • 30         | Chandigarh                 | 3                                        |
| 31           | D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu | 1                                        |
| 32           | Delhi                      | 128                                      |
| 33           | Jammu & Kashmir            | 26                                       |
| 34           | Ladakh                     |                                          |
| 35           | Lakshadweep                |                                          |
| 36           | Puducherry                 | 4                                        |
|              | TOTAL (ALL INDIA)          | 57789                                    |
| Source: NCRB | Source: NCRB               | Source: NCRB                             |

*****