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The idea of a Special Component Plan (SCP) was emerged out of
the realisation that the development of Scheduled Castes (SCs) could not
be achieved only by formulating schemes under the Welfare of Backward
Classes sector but it required a multi-sectoral and multi-departmental
approach. This idea was mooted by the then Prime Minister in April, 1975,
who while addressing a conference of Chief Ministers, said, "unless all
the development departments in the State are fully aware to their
responsibilities towards the Backward Classes in general, no single
department can make an impact on their progress." The Special Component Plan
is, thus a plan within a plan where each department formulates
need-based programmes for the development of SCs. Specific financial outlays
and physical targets are being prescribed for SCs in the relevant schemes and
included in the sectoral plan of each department. They are then aggregated
and presented as the Special Component Plan for the State.
Gujarat has a comparatively small population of SCs. According
to the 2001 Census, the population of the SCs in Gujarat is 35.93 lakhs,
which comes to 7.09 % of the total population of the State of 5.07 crores.
The SCs in Gujarat are dispersed in all the districts of the State. Though
the SC population is found in all the districts of the State, the larger
concentration of them in Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Junagadh, Mehsana and Vadodara
districts. This state-wide dispersal of the SCs makes it impossible to adopt
an area based development approach for their economic advancement. as The
Special Component Plan therefore, contains larger element of family oriented
schemes. The scope for infrastructural schemes would be confined to micro-level
locality oriented programmes for providing minimum needs of the SC
localities.
In the field of education, there has been a significant improvement in the
condition of the SCs during the last two decades. According to the 1991,
Census the literacy rate among the Scheduled Castes was 61.07% against the
rate of 66.08 for the general population. By 2001, the literacy rate among
the SCs went up to 70.50 %,which is slightly higher than the general literacy
rate of the State which is 69.14 %.. The gap between the literacy rate of the SC
females, and the females in the general population is almost negligible, the
former being only 57.58% to the latter's 57.80%. The SC males literacy rate
of 82.56 % has exceeded general males literacy rate of 79.66 %. This shows
successful implementation of educational programmes for SCs under the Special
Component Plan during last two decades.
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