Why in the News?

• A Central task force and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) have proposed changes to strengthen the implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, including enhanced compensation, counselling and protection of tribal livelihoods.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• SC/ST Act (Objective, Key Features, etc.)
• News Summary (Parliamentary Panel Proposals, NCST Proposals, Significance)

SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989

• The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, is a special legislation enacted to prevent atrocities against members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs), provide relief and rehabilitation to victims, and establish mechanisms for dealing with such offences.
• The Act recognises that members of SC and ST communities can face forms of violence, humiliation, social exclusion, dispossession and exploitation linked to their social identity.
• It therefore provides safeguards beyond those available under general criminal law.
• The Act came into force in 1990 and was subsequently strengthened through amendments, particularly in 2015 and 2018.

Key Features

• The Act identifies a range of acts that constitute atrocities when committed against SC/ST persons.
• These include offences involving physical violence, humiliation, social discrimination, dispossession from land and interference with rights and dignity.
• It also provides for:

• Special and Exclusive Special Courts for the speedy trial of offences.
• Special Public Prosecutors for conducting cases.
• Relief and rehabilitation for victims and their dependents.
• Preventive measures by governments and district authorities.
• Protection of victims and witnesses.

• The law, therefore, combines criminal justice, victim compensation and preventive administration.
• 2015 Amendments
  • The 2015 amendments expanded the list of offences covered under the Act and strengthened the rights of victims. They also introduced provisions relating to:

• Presumption in certain circumstances.
• Protection of victims and witnesses.
• Greater accountability of public servants for wilful neglect of duties.
• Establishment of Exclusive Special Courts in appropriate cases.

• 2018 Amendment
  • The 2018 amendment was introduced following widespread protests by SC and ST communities after a Supreme Court judgment concerning safeguards against alleged misuse of the Act.
  • The amendment restored the position that no prior approval is required for the arrest of a person accused under the Act, subject to the statutory framework, and that anticipatory bail is not ordinarily available in cases under the Act, subject to the Supreme Court's constitutional interpretation.
  • The task force's current recommendations seek changes primarily to the Rules framed under the Act, while the NCST has separately proposed amendments to the Act itself.

News Summary

• An internal task force headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has recommended amendments to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules.
• One of the major proposals is to increase the relief and rehabilitation amounts provided to victims and their dependents to account for inflation.
• At present, the prescribed relief ranges from Rs. 85,000 to Rs. 8.25 lakh, depending on the seriousness of the offence and the extent of injury or harm suffered. These amounts were fixed in 2016.
• The task force has also proposed establishing special relief and rehabilitation cells in States and Union Territories to strengthen implementation and ensure that assistance reaches victims more effectively.
• Counselling and Faster Case Processing
  • The proposed amendments also include counselling mechanisms for victims, their dependants and accused persons.
  • Another recommendation is that FIRs and chargesheets should be forwarded to the concerned government officials within 24 hours.
  • The objective is to improve administrative monitoring and ensure that cases do not face unnecessary delays.
  • The recommendations were contained in a report submitted to the Centre in July 2026.

NCST Proposals for Tribal Land and Livelihoods

• Separately, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has suggested amendments to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• A key concern is the protection of the livelihoods of Scheduled Tribe communities whose land has been alienated and who become involved in prolonged legal disputes over their land.
• The NCST has also called for measures to prevent the registration of "counter FIRs" against individuals who report atrocity cases.
• Such cases can potentially place additional pressure on victims and discourage reporting of offences.
• These recommendations underline that protection under the Act is not limited to criminal prosecution but also involves safeguarding the economic and social security of vulnerable communities.

Parliamentary Panel on Scholarship Delays

• A related issue concerning the welfare of SC and other disadvantaged communities has also been highlighted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.
• The committee examined the Ministry's action taken on its recommendations concerning the Demands for Grants for 2026-27. Of its 25 recommendations, the government accepted 14.
• The committee, however, rejected the government's response on four issues and reiterated its earlier recommendations.
• One of the major concerns was the delay in disbursal of scholarships.
• The committee had earlier found that scholarship funds were sometimes released only in the next academic year because States and Union Territories took additional time to complete application verification and other formalities.
• The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment attributed the delays primarily to the time taken by some States to complete the verification process.
• The committee expressed dissatisfaction with this explanation, noting that the issue had persisted despite repeated observations.
• The panel also reiterated that the Ministry should consider revising the Rs. 8 lakh annual family income ceiling for its free coaching scheme for students belonging to SC and OBC communities.

Special Police Stations Under the Atrocities Act

• The Parliamentary Committee also highlighted the inadequate establishment of special police stations for implementing the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• It noted that only seven States and Union Territories had established such special police stations even after more than three decades of the enactment of the Atrocities Act.
• The government informed the committee that it had submitted a proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) seeking enhanced budgetary support for strengthening implementation.
• The committee recommended early approval of this proposal so that provisions for establishing special police stations could be included in the 2026-27 to 2030-31 expenditure cycle.

Significance

• The developments highlight that effective social justice legislation requires more than strong statutory provisions. Its impact depends on timely compensation, institutional capacity, effective policing, speedy investigation, victim support and access to welfare schemes.
• The proposed changes to the SC/ST Rules and the NCST's recommendations focus on strengthening protection after an atrocity occurs, while the Parliamentary Committee's observations highlight the importance of timely delivery of welfare benefits and institutional mechanisms.
• Together, these developments underline the need for a rights-based and implementation-oriented approach to social justice.

Context:

• The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026 seeks to modernise India's tribunal system by improving appointments, governance, transparency, service conditions, independence and efficiency without altering the substantive jurisdiction of tribunals.
• It is part of India's broader institutional reform agenda aimed at supporting Viksit Bharat @2047, enhancing the ease of doing business, and strengthening the rule of law.

Why Tribunal Reforms Matter?

• A rapidly expanding economy requires institutions capable of resolving disputes efficiently and credibly.
• Tribunals provide specialised adjudication in sectors such as taxation, company law, securities, environment, and service matters.
• Timely dispute resolution enhances investor confidence, facilitates capital circulation, protects employment, and improves the overall business environment.
• Thus, ease of justice and ease of doing business are closely interconnected.

Constitutional Basis of Tribunals:

• The Constitution provides for tribunals through -
  • Article 323A – Administrative Tribunals dealing primarily with service matters.
  • Article 323B – Tribunals for specified subjects such as taxation, industrial disputes, land reforms and elections.
• These provisions (added via 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976) recognise the need for specialised dispute resolution mechanisms alongside constitutional courts.

Evolution of Tribunal Reforms:

• India's tribunal ecosystem gradually expanded across different ministries, resulting in -
  • Multiple administrative structures.
  • Diverse appointment procedures.
  • Lack of uniform governance.
  • Variations in service conditions.
• To rationalise the system, the Government initiated reforms, such as,
  • In 2015, the tribunal restructuring process began.
  • The Finance Act, 2017 merged similar tribunals; reducing the number from 26 to 19.
  • The Tribunal Rules, 2017 and 2020 standardised administrative procedures.
  • The Tribunals Reforms Ordinance, 2021 and the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 further reduced tribunals from 19 to 16.
• However, several provisions relating to appointments and tenure were struck down by the Supreme Court for violating the principles of judicial independence and separation of powers.

Judicial Developments:

• Important judicial pronouncements (including the Rojer Mathew case, the Madras Bar Association case) have consistently held that tribunal members' appointments, tenure and service conditions must preserve -
  • Judicial independence
  • Institutional autonomy
  • Separation of powers
• The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026 seeks to align the tribunal framework with these constitutional principles.

Key Features of the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026:

• Establishment of National Tribunals Commission (NTC):
  • The Bill proposes the creation of a NTC as the central governance body for tribunals.
  • Composition: Former Supreme Court Judge or former Chief Justice of a High Court as the chairperson, and two judicial and two technical members.
• Uniform governance framework: The NTC will oversee 16 tribunals under a common administrative structure, ensuring standardised governance, better coordination, institutional accountability, and administrative efficiency.
• Transparent and merit-based appointments: The Bill introduces structured selection procedures, merit-based appointments, greater transparency, and independent institutional oversight.
• Dedicated NTC secretariat: A permanent Secretariat is proposed to support uniform administration, efficient functioning, and better coordination among tribunals.
• No change in jurisdiction: The Bill does not alter the substantive jurisdiction of existing tribunals. Each tribunal will continue exercising powers assigned under its parent legislation, while administrative governance becomes more streamlined.

Significance for Governance and Economy:

• The Bill contributes to -
  • Institutional reforms supporting Viksit Bharat.
  • Greater legal certainty and regulatory predictability.
  • Faster dispute resolution.
  • Enhanced investor confidence.
  • Improved Ease of Doing Business.
  • Strengthening the rule of law.
  • Better governance through independent and efficient adjudicatory institutions.
• It complements broader structural reforms such as -
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST)
  • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
  • Jan Vishwas initiative
  • Digital India
• Together, these reforms aim to build a modern, transparent and efficient governance ecosystem.

Challenges and Concerns:

• Ensuring the functional independence of the NTC from executive influence.
• Maintaining a balanced representation of judicial and technical expertise.
• Preventing delays in appointments and vacancies.
• Adequate financial and administrative autonomy for tribunals.
• Effective implementation across diverse tribunal structures.

Conclusion:

• The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026 marks a significant step in strengthening India's institutional framework by improving tribunal governance while preserving judicial independence.
• Successful implementation can enhance ease of justice, reinforce the rule of law, and create a more predictable legal environment that supports investment, economic growth and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Context

• India’s aspiration for Viksit Bharat by 2047 depends not only on economic growth but also on the equitable distribution of technological gains.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming agriculture, healthcare, finance, logistics and other sectors.
• Its impact, however, will depend on who designs these systems, whose data trains them and which languages they support.
• Without inclusive design, AI could reinforce existing inequalities; with gender-responsive governance, it can become a powerful tool of economic empowerment.

AI and the Gendered Nature of India’s Workforce

• Around 82% of working women in India are engaged in informal employment, including agriculture, domestic services, home-based production and micro-enterprises.
• Their limited access to finance, technology, skills and social protection makes them vulnerable to technological disruption but also creates significant opportunities for AI-led inclusion.
• The India AI Governance Guidelines identify fairness and equity as core principles.
• These must translate into practical outcomes by ensuring that AI systems account for gender, language, caste, disability, location and occupational status.
• AI should be designed, tested and governed to prevent stereotypes, discrimination and digital exclusion.

AI in Agriculture and Informal Work

• Agriculture offers major possibilities for women through precision agriculture, crop-health monitoring, input optimisation, weather information and market access.
• With 76.9% of rural women engaged in agriculture, women constitute a crucial constituency for agricultural AI.
• The 2024 deployment of Farmer. Chat across 12 States reported improved quality of life among 61% of women users, with engagement two to three times higher than among men.
• This suggests that AI can achieve strong adoption when designed around regional languages, literacy levels, mobility constraints and livelihood realities.
• AI must therefore move beyond serving large farmers and become an instrument of empowerment for women cultivators, smallholders and informal workers. 

Gender-Responsive AI Governance

• Gender Impact Assessments
  • AI systems influencing employment, credit, welfare and safety should undergo proportionate gender impact assessments.
  • These should examine variations by sex, geography, caste, disability and work status and ensure accessible grievance mechanisms in regional languages.
  • Algorithmic transparency and explainability are vital for building trust among marginalised communities.
• Gender-Responsive Budgeting
  • AI investments should be evaluated through Gender Responsive Budgeting.
  • Policymakers should identify which women will benefit, which barrier is being addressed, how outcomes will be measured and what resources will support corrective action.
  • This shifts attention from technological deployment to measurable social outcomes.

AI Literacy as Public Infrastructure

• Access to AI tools is insufficient without the ability to use them effectively.
• Women in informal work often face constraints involving time, literacy and livelihood demands.
• AI literacy should therefore be integrated into DAY-NRLM, DDU-GKY and Skill India, with Mission Shakti’s Sakhi network providing trusted community-level support.
• Success should be measured through outcomes: whether women can access entitlements, navigate digital platforms, improve productivity or move towards better-paid employment.
• AI literacy must consequently be treated as public infrastructure for economic participation. 

The Way Forward

• Digital Safety and Women’s Economic Participation
  • Deepfakes, online harassment and non-consensual imagery can discourage women from participating in digital economic spaces.
  • Digital safety is therefore an economic necessity, not merely a cybersecurity concern.
  • The IT (Amendment) Rules, 2021 provide grievance mechanisms for harmful content, while proposed MeitY measures on labelling AI-generated synthetic content can strengthen safeguards.
  • Effective implementation requires accessible, survivor-centred remedies, especially in regional languages.
  • Recommendations from the National Commission for Women’s review of cyber laws also warrant coordinated inter-ministerial action.
• Building AI Prosperity for All
  • India has developed significant AI capabilities through the IndiaAI Mission, BHASHINI and AI Governance Guidelines, supported by partnerships across sectors.
  • The India AI Impact Summit 2026 further reflects the growth of India’s AI ecosystem.
  • The challenge now is to ensure that AI-enabled productivity gains reach the base of the economic pyramid, including women farmers, home-based workers, self-help group members and platform workers.
  • Inclusion must be embedded in procurement, AI design, training, safety frameworks and impact measurement.
• From AI Access to AI Empowerment
  • The goal should be to move from digital access to meaningful economic empowerment.
  • Women must not merely consume AI services but use them to improve incomes, productivity, financial independence and access to public services.
  • They should also participate as designers, entrepreneurs, workers and decision-makers within the AI ecosystem. 

Conclusion

• AI can either deepen structural inequalities or become an instrument of inclusive development.
• India’s success will depend on gender-responsive governance, AI literacy, digital safety and equitable productivity gains.
• By 2047, AI success should not be measured merely by investment, deployment or technological capability.
• Its real measure should be whether women at the margins of the formal economy gain productive, safe and meaningful access to AI-enabled opportunities.

About Betwa River:

• It is a significant river in central and northern India.
• It is an important right-bank tributary of the Yamuna River.
• Course:
  • It originates from Jhirri village in Raisen District, near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
  • It begins in the Vindhya Hills.
  • It flows generally northeast through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states and empties into the Yamuna River near Hamirpur town in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Nearly half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau before it breaks into the upland of Bundelkhand.
• The river flows in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• In the active monsoon season, the Betwa River discharges exceptionally high levels, while in the summer; it discharges extremely low levels
• Tributaries: The Jamni and Dhasan rivers are its major tributaries.
• Dams: The Betwa is dammed at Dukwan and Deogarh for irrigation and water management.
• Significance:
  • It has been mentioned in the Mahabharata and once supported the Chedi Kingdom, whose capital Suktimati stood on its banks.
  • It is part of the Ken-Betwa Link Project, a major interlinking initiative designed to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa River for irrigation and drinking purposes.
  • The Indian Navy named one of its frigates INS Betwa in honour of the river.
  • The historical little town of Orchha is famous for its architectural glory and graceful Betwa River.
    • The town is landlocked and primarily fed by the Betwa River.
    • Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary lies within the area through which the Betwa River flows.

About Permanent Pictorial Cancellation (PPC):

• It is a postmark, which shows a replica/photo/design or a picture highlighting a tourist, religious, historical, or an important place or a living/non-living thing.
• PPCs give wide publicity to many places of historical, cultural, and tourist interest.
• It is one of the accepted methods of cancellation at post offices.
• They are provided at the post offices, which are located near such significant places.
• In PPC, the replica/photo/design or a picture is used as the cancellation seal.
• However, the regular features of the cancellation, the zip code, and date will be included in the seal.
• Unlike an ordinary cancellation used to cancel postage stamps on a particular day, a PPC is available for use on a permanent basis at a designated post office.
• The sender can have his mail sealed pictorially by postal staff by placing an oral request, provided a proper number of stamps are affixed on the mail.
• The pictorial cancellation can also be imprinted on postcards and inland letters. Once the pictorial cancellation is made, no normal cancellation is needed.
• It is of particular interest to philatelists (stamp collectors) because it provides a distinctive and lasting postal marking associated with a specific subject or location.

Key Facts about Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.
• The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to “The City of Lord Ananta, ”referring to the deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
• The earliest recorded mention of the temple is from the 8th or 9th century CE, although the temple is likely older.
• The temple was built and rebuilt over the centuries, most recently by Martanda Varma, king of Travancore, who in 1750 donated the kingdom to the deity.
• Architecture:
  • It is a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture.
  • The idol of Vishnu is in the Anantha shayanam posture, the eternal yogic rest posture on his serpent Adisheshan.
  • It has a seven-tier-high gopuram, which is decorated with delicate designs and carvings.
  • Along with exquisite and intricate works on stone and bronze, the interior of the temple is adorned by exquisite paintings and murals, most of which are life-sized depictions of Lord Vishnu in the reclining posture, Lord Ganapati, Gaja Lakshmi, and Narasimha Swamy (half-lion, half-man incarnation of Lord Vishnu).
  • The flag post of the temple (dhwaja stamba) is covered with gold-plated copper sheets and is about 80 ft high.
• The temple has around 3 million palm leaf manuscripts dating back to the 14th century
  • Known as Mathilakam records, they contain the administrative and financial details of the temple town and Travancore kingdom spread over six centuries.
• In 2011 the temple was the subject of international news when an exploration of its vaults revealed a wealth of jewels, precious metals, and other treasures.
  • It is also widely believed to be the world’s richest temple.

About Merchant Discount Rate (MDR):

• It is the fee charged to a merchant for accepting a digital payment.
• When a customer pays a business digitally, multiple parties may be involved in completing that transaction.
• Depending on the payment mode, these may include the merchant, payment gateway or payment aggregator, acquiring bank, issuing bank, card network or payment network, and other payment infrastructure participants.
• MDR is part of the commercial structure that supports this payment acceptance chain.
• For a merchant, MDR is best understood as a cost of accepting a particular type of payment.
• When a customer makes a payment, the merchant usually receives the transaction amount after deduction of MDR.
• The MDR fees cover a variety of costs, including:
  • Payment processor fee: These fees are charged by payment processors (companies that handle transactions between merchants and banks like Razorpay) for their services.
  • Interchange fee: These are fees charged by card issuers (banks) to merchants for processing transactions.
  • Assessment fee: These are fees charged by card networks (like Visa, RuPay and Mastercard) to merchants for using their payment processing services.
  • Markup fee: These are fees that are divided among the different entities involved in the transaction.
  • Additional fees: Some payment processors may charge additional fees for services like fraud prevention, chargeback handling, and customer support.
• MDR is not a single fixed rate that applies to every business or every payment.
• It may apply differently across cards, net banking, wallets, UPI, EMI, BNPL, QR, and other payment modes, depending on the provider and the applicable arrangement.
• The MDR typically comes in the form of a percentage of the transaction amount. It is typically between 1% and 3%.
• Merchants must consider these fees as part of managing their business costs and setting their prices.
• MDR charges are automatically deducted from the merchant’s account at the time of settling the transaction batch.

MDR on UPI:

• When UPI was launched in 2016, MDR was applicable.
• But in January 2020, the government removed MDR on UPI and RuPay debit cards to push mass adoption of digital payments.
• But zero MDR also meant banks, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and fintech startups got nothing from the transaction.
• The government has compensated the industry through subsidies.

Recent Changes Introduced in the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026:

• It empowers the government to levy an MDR on select electronic payment modes, with a potential MDR of 0.25 percent to 0.4 percent on business-directed UPI transactions.
• The finance ministry said consumers will face no transaction charges and that all person-to-person (P2P) transfers will continue to be free.
• The government says it will apply only to a limited set of merchant transactions above a certain value threshold, at a nominal rate, which will be far lower than existing debit or credit card MDRs.
• Small merchants and person-to-merchant payments below that threshold are expected to remain free, to protect the digital-payments push among small businesses.