Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and
Minorities Welfare Department

POLICY NOTE - 2002-2003

DEMAND NO. 9

INTRODUCTION

Tamil Nadu Government is taking all efforts to protect the interests of the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities and Minorities and has been effectively implementing various schemes for the welfare of the people belonging to these Communities. Under the Honourable Chief Minister’s 15 Point Programme, the Government have proposed to give a new deal for the Educational and Economic empowerment of these oppressed classes.

POLICY ON RESERVATION

The policy of reservation in admission to educational institutions and appointment to the public services in favour of the Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been in vogue in the State of Tamil Nadu since 1921 to aid, facilitate and speed up the upliftment of the underprivileged and deprived classes and to enable them to compete on an equal footing with the developed sections of the society.  In the year 1980, the Government fixed the percentage of reservation at 68% and it has been continuing at that level since then with the addition of 1% for Scheduled Tribes separately, in the year 1990 making the reservation to 69%.

Consequent to the judgement delivered by the Apex Court restricting the total reservation under Article 16(4) to 50%, this august Assembly unanimously passed a Bill to enable the Government to continue the reservation at 69% which became an Act subsequently (Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1994). The said Act was included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution due to the concerted efforts of our Hon’ble Chief Minister.  Though the above Act has been challenged before the Supreme Court, this Government is determined to take all measures to safeguard the reservation at the existing level.

The firm view of the Government of Tamil Nadu is that, it is but fair and proper that socially and educationally backward classes, as a whole, should be given at least 50% reservation for employment opportunities in Central Government services and its undertakings and for admission in educational institutions run by the Central Government. In consonance with this avowed policy in Tamil Nadu, this Government has urged the Central Government to enhance the reservation for Other Backward Classes from 27% to 50% and to apply the same in recruitment to the All India Services and the Central Services. The Government of India have also been requested to bring in a Constitutional amendment to empower the State Government to determine the percentage of reservation in the respective States according to their requirement.

EDUCATION

Realising the fact that education is an important tool to bring in overall development of these downtrodden communities, this Government is keen to promote literacy and is paying attention to quality improvement in the educational standard of these communities at all levels.

KALLAR RECLAMATION SCHOOLS

The people belonging to the Denotified communities, particularly, the Piramalai Kallars lag very much behind others in the educational front and their literacy rate is very low. In order to achieve educational advancement of the Denotified Communities, with special reference to Piramalai Kallar Community, the Department is running 265 Kallar Reclamation Schools in the Districts of Madurai, Theni and Dindigul where the population of Piramalai Kallar community is concentrated.  The total strength of the students studying in these schools is 50071. The Government are taking every effort to improve the quality of education in these schools. Upgradation of schools, construction of additional classrooms, laboratories and toilet blocks for girl students, supply of laboratory equipments, provision of electricity, drinking water facilities etc.are the various steps taken by this Government to achieve this objective. Out of 265 Kallar Reclamation Schools functioning in Government owned buildings under the control of Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities Department, till 2000‑2001, drinking water facilities in 62 schools, electrification in 72 schools and toilet facilities in 72 schools only have been provided.  Provision of basic amenities like water supply, electricity and sanitation facilities in Kallar Reclamation schools has been taken up under a crash programme. In the first phase, provision of toilets to the remaining 193 schools at a cost of Rs.125.00 lakhs, drinking water facility to 50 schools and electrification of 40 schools at a cost of Rs.47.00 lakhs was taken up during 2001-2002. It is now proposed to provide drinking water facilities and electrification for the remaining schools during 2002‑2003. Under the computer education scheme for all Higher Secondary Schools, introduced by the Government, computer education has so far been introduced in 8 Kallar Reclamation schools out of 15 Higher Secondary Schools.

This Government has issued orders for starting two separate sections consisting of 50 seats each in the DIET centre at Uthamapalayam in Theni District for giving Secondary Grade teacher training to Piramalai Kallars at a cost of Rs.85.00 lakhs.

 A sum of Rs. 2250.17 lakhs has been provided for the current year for the functioning of these schools. 

SUPPLY OF BOOKS AND SLATES

Slates to students studying up to III Standard, note books and books to students studying up to X Standard in Kallar Reclamation Schools are supplied free of cost.  For this scheme, a sum of Rs.  40.50 lakhs has been provided for the year 2002‑2003.

SUPPLY OF UNIFORMS

Two sets of uniforms are supplied every year to the students studying up to VIII Standard in the Kallar Reclamation Schools and to students studying up to X Standard and staying in Hostels for Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities. 21,120 boarders in Backward Classes Hostels and 20,000 boarders in Most Backward Classes/Denotified Communities Hostels and 44,950 students in Kallar Reclamation Schools are covered by this scheme.  A sum of Rs.136.00 lakhs has been provided for this scheme for the year 2002-2003.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are awarded to the students of Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities whose parental income does not exceed Rs.50,000/- per annum

PRE-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Under this scheme all text books are supplied free of cost to students belonging to Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes studying in the 9th and 10th standards. Text books are also supplied free of cost to students belonging to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities studying in 4th to 8th Standards and staying in the hostels run by this Department. Text Books are supplied from 6th to 10th standard students belonging to Denotified Communities free of cost through the Tamil Nadu Text Book Corporation subject to a parental annual income limit of Rs.50,000/-.  Further, the special fees paid by the students are reimbursed to the educational institutions.  The Public examination fees payable by the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities  students of 10th Standard are also paid on behalf of the students to the Director of Government Examinations.  Backward Classes Students whose parental annual income is less than Rs.50,000/- and who are hailing from Non-Graduate families get reimbursement of tuition fees for their studies in English Medium classes. These conditions do not apply to the students of Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities to get this benefit. Students studying in Government and Aided schools are eligible for this assistance.   A sum of Rs.722.78 lakhs has been provided for the current year under this scheme.

INCENTIVES TO GIRL STUDENTS OF MOST BACKWARD CLASSES AND DENOTIFIED COMMUNITIES

In order to reduce the drop outs in primary schools which are quite common in rural areas, particularly, among the girl children belonging to the Most Backward Classes and Denotified communities and to encourage them to complete their study up to middle school, an incentive of Rs.500/- per year to 60,000 girl students studying in standards III to V and an assistance of Rs.100/- per month for 10 months to 30,000 girl students studying in Standard VI are given.  A sum of Rs.300.00 lakhs has been provided for this scheme during 2002-2003.

POST-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Students studying from Higher Secondary courses in Schools and up to Research scholars in Colleges/Universities whose parental income does not exceed Rs.50,000/- per annum are sanctioned a portion of the tuition fees, special fees and cost of books besides the Examination fees in full as scholarship. The restriction of parental income of Rs.50,000/- per annum and the condition that there shall be no graduate in the family are imposed for the reimbursement of tuition fees to the students of Backward Classes studying in plus two courses in English medium.  But in the case of students of Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities, these conditions are not applicable.  The public Examination fees payable by the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities students, studying +2 are also paid on behalf of the students to the Director of Government Examinations. For the students staying in hostels attached to the educational institutions boarding and lodging charges as prescribed in the scholarship notification are also sanctioned along with the scholarship amount. For the post‑matric scholarship scheme a sum of Rs.1100.69 lakhs has been provided for the year 2002-2003.

FREE EDUCATION

The students belonging to Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities studying from Xth Standard up to Degree courses like B.A., B.Sc., and B.Com., are provided free education without imposing any restrictions on their parental income.  Students of Backward Classes are however provided free education from Xth Standard up to Degree level subject to the conditions that (a) the annual income of parent shall not exceed Rs.50,000/- and (b) there should be no graduate in the family of the student.

Students belonging to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities are provided free education in Diploma Courses in Polytechnic and professional Degree courses viz. Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Veterinary, Law, etc.  if the student is the first person in the family to pursue diploma or professional degree course subject to satisfying the above said two conditions.The students covered under the Free Education scheme are fully exempted from paying tuition fees, Special fees, examination fees and other non-refundable compulsory miscellaneous fees at the rates approved by the Government. Under these schemes a sum of Rs.1645.39 lakhs has been provided for the current year.