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SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act: Objectives, Provisions, Rights & Punishments

Pragya Pathak

Author

Updated: 27-12-2025 at 3:30 PM

There are several laws in India, and one of those laws is the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Atrocity Act was created and enacted by the Parliament of India back in the year 1989, and the primary reason behind the creation of this act was to prevent atrocities and hate crimes against the people who come from the communities of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India.

However, in reality, Dalits (aka Scheduled Castes) and Tribals have been facing innumerable crimes committed against them, all based on their caste. The people of India who come from these marginalised sections do not consider this act a successful legislation because they have lost many of their loved ones, irrespective of the existence of this act. The Supreme Court of India labelled the act a form of ‘backmail’, which is used by many for their personal interests.

Read the article to learn more about the Atrocity Act punishment, ranging from its meaning and forms of crimes to punitive measures, including answers to popular questions like, ‘Atrocity Act kya hai?’.

Overview

The table below summarises some key details about the Atrocity Act punishment that one should know.

Name of the act	Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
Introduced in	1989
Objective	To prevent atrocities and hate crimes against the people who come from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes sections of society

What Is The Atrocity Act?

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, also known as the Atrocity Act is a special law created by the Parliament of India in the year 1989, especially for the people who come from the communities of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India. The primary aim of the law is to protect the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities from caste-based crimes and atrocities.

There are several provisions of the Atrocity Act. Some of the provisions of the act are as follows for one’s reference:

Denial of anticipatory bail as per Section 18.
Atrocity Act punishment measures are enhanced for public servants.
Denial of probation to convict as per Section 19.
Creation of special courts and public prosecutors.
Prohibition of arms and ammunition in sensitive areas where crimes usually happen against members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities.

Also Read: House Construction Subsidies Introduced To Empower The Scheduled Castes In India

What Are The Various Forms Of Crimes Against SC/STs?

Over the years, members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities have been the victims of many barbarous criminal activities as registered in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC). Some of those forms of crime are listed below:

Cow vigilantism: This is a type of crime that happens under the guise of protecting cows, animals that are considered sacred in a country like India. Since Dalits have been involved in leather-making activities, they are usually targeted by vigilantes. This crime has also increased significantly over the last 2 years.
Honour killing: Honour killings are another form of criminal activity that is prevalent and on the rise. Here, people target and attack members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities in the name of protecting their own cultures.
Boycott: Many organisations, like Khap Panchayats, publicly boycott Dalits and Tribals and attempt to exclude them in every possible way, all because of their ‘castes’. Many prominent figures like Dr B.R Ambedkar fought against such practices, which led to the establishment of other laws, like the Anti-Boycott law and state laws, like the Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2016.
Discriminatory Practices: Dalits and Tribals often experience various types of discriminatory practices in various settings, such as universities, hospitals, govt offices, etc. This is one of the most psychologically damaging forms of crime.

Is The Reason Behind All The Crimes Against SC/ST’s ‘Caste’?

Every single day, a minimum of one or more cases are reported, stating various forms of crimes faced by the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities in numerous settings and fields, such as employment, education, health, etc. It is the 21st century, yet people are so engrossed in abstract and meaningless categorisations like that of ‘castes’ that they have completely forgotten the fact that we are all humans first, and this is the only category or label that should matter to them.

Protective Measures Taken By The Dalits For Their Protection

Dalits and Tribals have been suffering for decades, but now, instead of continuing to be passive, they have taken up the roles of active protectors for themselves and their people through various measures, such as the Bhim Army.

Many young individuals who are members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities are establishing protective measures for themselves and their loved ones and are inspired by public figures like Dr B.R Ambedkar. One of the protective measures by the government that helps them, but not as it should, is the PoA (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Government Actions Against Crimes Against SC/STs

The Parliament of India has created several laws and provisions against the barbarous and heinous criminal activities targeting members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities. All the major laws are mentioned below in detail for one’s better understanding of the law:

Article 17: This article has been specifically created to abolish ‘untouchability’. ‘Untouchability’ refers to the avoidance of physical contact with Dalits and Tribals, as their caste is considered bad by the other castes.
Article 46: Article 46 is especially for promoting educational and economic-related interests of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections of the society. This has been created to protect the basic rights of those from the marginalised communities, as these rights are not simply their fundamental rights, but a basic necessity.
Article 338: Under this article, a national body has been established, named the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. The National Commission for SCs will work for the protection of SCs and help them in leading better lives through various ways, such as measures to create a safe environment for them. Also, under Article 338A, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has been established.

What Is The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015?

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was amended in the year 2015. The amended act carries several new provisions for the protection of SCC/STs; the major provisions added in the amended version of the act are described below:

The government added several new categories of actions that will be treated as serious offences against SC/STs. Activities, like garlanding with footwear, compelling to dispose or carry human or animal carcasses, or doing manual scavenging, abusing SCs/STs by caste name in public, attempting to promote feelings of ill-will against SCs/STs, or disrespecting any deceased person held in high esteem, and imposing or threatening a social or economic boycott.
Any instance of sexual exploitative act against women from the communities of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes would now be taken extremely seriously in the amended version of the Atrocity Act.
If anyone tries to stop Dalits and Tribals from using common areas, entering sacred worship places, or using other public areas like educational institutes or hospitals will face serious legal consequences under the Atrocity Act punishment.

Conclusion

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is one of the most important and significant laws created by the Parliament of India for the protection of members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities against the barbarous and heinous criminal activities.

The establishment of the legal framework shows the Indian government’s commitment to protecting everyone, irrespective of their caste categories. However, proper and strict implementation of the laws is yet to be achieved.

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