Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today launched the Online Grievance Management Portal of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Presently the complaints of victims, who are members of Scheduled Caste are processed manually in the commission. The new mechanism has been introduced to handle the complaints in online mode from the victim.

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Part 16 of Indian Constitution: Special Provisions Relating To Certain Classes(Art 330 to Art 342)

Article 330: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People

 Article 331: Representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People

 Article 332: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assemblies of the States

 Article 333: Representation of the Anglo-Indian community in the Legislative Assemblies of the States

 Article 334: Reservation of seats and special representation to cease after sixty years(126 Amendment Bill); 104 Amendment Act

 Article 335: Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to services and posts

 Article 336: Special provision for Anglo-Indian community in certain services

 Article 337: Special provision with respect to educational grants for the benefit of Anglo-Indian community

 Article 338: National Commission for Scheduled Castes

 Article 338A: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (89^th Amendment Act)

 Article 339: Control of the Union over the administration of Scheduled Areas and the welfare of Scheduled Tribes

 Article 340: Appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes

 Article 341: Scheduled Castes

(1) The President  may with respect to any State or Union territory after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State.

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Castes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any caste, race or tribe or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

 Article 342: Scheduled Tribes

• Article 15(4) refers to the special provisions for their advancement.
• Article 16(4A) speaks of “reservation in matters of promotion to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of SCs/STs, which are not adequately represented in the services under the State’.
• Article 17 abolishes Untouchability.
• Article 46 requires the State ‘to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.