Social Justice and Empowerment

The vision of the Division is based on the basic premise of paying special attention to those sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefiting adequately from economic progress, as stipulated in Rule 1 (i)e of the Allocation of Business Rules of NITI Aayog and amended Cabinet Resolution dated 27 January 2017.  

The Division holds periodic reviews with different stakeholders—Central Ministries/Departments, State/UTs and international agencies—involved in the inclusive development of the vulnerable sections of the society. It also monitors the progress made in achieving the SDGs, seeks to address development deficits and propose appropriate corrective measures.  

The Division provides guidance to frame comprehensive policies and programmes for inclusive empowerment and human capital development of underprivileged sections of the society, such as the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Safai Karmacharis (SKs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), Religious Minorities, Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic and De-Notified Tribes (NT, SNT & DNTs), and social defence groups such as Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Senior Citizens/Aged, Transgender, Victims of Substance Abuse/Drug Addicts, Destitutes and Beggars, etc.

The Division is also responsible for making special policies and strategies, including the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), for the most deprived within these vulnerable sections (viz. marginal and diminishing indigenous communities, manual scavengers, aged, women and children of destitution).

The core functions of the Division, among others, can be divided under two heads:

• Social Inclusion Groups To ensure the empowerment of SCs, NT, SNT and DNTs, and OBCs, and welfare of EBCs, STs, and minorities (religious minorities):

  1. Monitor and evaluate all policies and programmes of the Centre and States/UTs with respect to the above groups,

  2. Undertake field visits to get first-hand information on policy implications and development deficits in the sector,

  3. Identify priority areas/new strategies for inclusive development of the underprivileged among these groups, including the provision of Special Central Assistance,

  4. Monitor the Integrated Tribal Development Programme and scheduled areas and tribal areas and tribal backward regions programmes and the development of Left-Wing-Extremism-Affected Tribal Areas.  

• Social Defence Groups In order to ensure the welfare and empowerment of PwDs, protect and ensure the welfare of the Aged/Senior Citizens, rehabilitate and resettle Victims of Substance Abuse (Drug Addicts), empower Transgenders, and ensure the welfare and rehabilitate Destitutes and Beggars:

  1. Strengthen the functions of the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation, and national trusts and institutions for persons with disability,

  2. Periodically monitor and evaluate all policies and programmes being implemented in the sector,

  3. Undertake field visits to get first-hand information on policy implications and development deficits in the sector,

  4. Identify priority areas/new strategies for the inclusive development of the underprivileged among these groups.

Constitutional and Statutory Commissions

• National Commission for Scheduled Castes (338)

• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (338-A)

• National Commission for Other Backward Classes

• National Commission for Safai Karmacharis

• Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

• National Commission for NTs, SNTs and DNTs

• National Commission for Minorities

National Institutions

• Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped

• Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped

• National Institute of Mentally Handicapped

• National Institute of Visually Handicapped

• National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities

• National Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped

• Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and Research

• National Institute of Social Defence

• National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation  

Councils/Foundations/Trusts

• Rehabilitation Council of India

• National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities,

• Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation

• Dr Ambedkar Foundation

• Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited

Finance Corporations

• National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation

• National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation

• National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation

• National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation

• National Safai Karmachari Finance and Development Corporation

• National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation

UN Agencies

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

• United Nations Development Programme

• United Nations Children's Fund

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

• United Nations Population Fund

• United Nations Human Settlements Programme

• World Bank

• International Monetary Fund

• Asian Development Bank

• World Health Organization

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

• International Labor Organization

• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

• United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

Other Agencies

• Department for International Development (DFID-UK)

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

• Other International Agencies and NGOs, VOs, CVOs working in the field of Social Planning and Social Development.

• Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs

• Ministry of Minority Affairs

• Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955

• SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989

• Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992

• National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993

• National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993

• Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, 2016

• Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996,

• National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disability Act, 1999

• Forest Rights Act, 2006

• Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

• National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992

• Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955

• Wakf Act, 1995, 2013

• Revamping of Tribal Research Institutes

• Restructuring of Scholarship Programmes

• NITI Aayog Committee on Identification of NTs, SNTs and DNTs

• Developing New Framework for Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan

• Developing an Integrated Framework for Social Protection, in Partnership with UNICEF

• Integrated Social Protection Framework 

• Workshop for Nodal Officers for SCSP and TSP

• Evaluation of SCSP TSP Schemes

• Study of the Impact of Covid on the Education of SC/ST Students