Scheduled Caste welfare and safeguards

In October 2026 the Department of Financial Services told the State and Union Territory Level Bankers' Committees to report the share of Scheduled Caste beneficiaries in Central credit schemes, after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes found that the committees reported no such data.

• The schemes include Mudra, Stand-Up India and four other Central credit schemes. Banks must use data they already hold, so there is no parallel reporting.
• A State Level Bankers' Committee is the apex forum that coordinates the State government, banks and financial institutions. A convener bank notified by the Reserve Bank chairs it, it meets every quarter, and its agenda is priority sector credit and financial inclusion.
• The Commission said the missing data hindered its duty under Article 338 to evaluate the socio economic progress of the Scheduled Castes.

In October 2026 the Public Accounts Committee questioned the Centre and the States on the gaps the Comptroller and Auditor General found in the scholarships for Scheduled Caste students.

• The audit of 2025 found that about 41 lakh students got their scholarships late and over 3.5 lakh got nothing, while the States paid thousands who were not Scheduled Caste. The figure gives the counts.
• The Social Justice Ministry said the States implement the two Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The committee gave it a month for an action taken report and will begin privilege proceedings against six Chief Secretaries who did not appear.