UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cases Registered Under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Rise to 53,372 in 2023, Convictions and Persons Convicted More Than Double by 2024

Q1. Central funds for the setting up and functioning of Exclusive Special Courts for trial of offences under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 are released to the States and Union Territories by which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Justice under the Ministry of Law and Justice, as part of its judicial infrastructure programme
  • B. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • C. The National Crime Records Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs, out of its police modernisation allocation
  • D. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes, out of grants placed at its disposal under Article 338

Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 as originally enacted with the Act as it stands after the 2015 amendment: 1. A separate chapter dealing with the rights of victims and witnesses was introduced only by the 2015 amendment. 2. The long title of the Act, after amendment, speaks of Special Courts and Exclusive Special Courts, whereas the Act as enacted in 1989 referred only to Special Courts. 3. A complaint of harassment of a victim, informant or witness is required to be tried along with the main case and disposed of within six months. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A separate chapter dealing with the rights of victims and witnesses was introduced only by the 2015 amendment.
  2. The long title of the Act, after amendment, speaks of Special Courts and Exclusive Special Courts, whereas the Act as enacted in 1989 referred only to Special Courts.
  3. A complaint of harassment of a victim, informant or witness is required to be tried along with the main case and disposed of within six months.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, the expression 'civil rights' is used in which one of the following senses?

  • A. Any right accruing to a person by reason of the abolition of untouchability by the Constitution
  • B. Any right of a citizen to move freely and reside in any part of the territory of India
  • C. Any right accruing to a person by reason of reservation in public employment and legislatures
  • D. Any right of a person to seek constitutional remedies against the State for breach of a guarantee

Q4. Which one of the following central enactments came first in giving statutory effect to the constitutional abolition of untouchability?

  • A. The Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955, later amended and renamed the Protection of Civil Rights Act
  • B. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, providing for Special Courts
  • C. The Protection of Civil Rights Act, enacted afresh in 1976 to replace an earlier untouchability law
  • D. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993

Q5. The all-India figure of 57,766 cases relating to Scheduled Castes registered in 2023 under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is drawn from which one of the following official publications?

  • A. 'Data on Police Organisations', brought out annually by the Bureau of Police Research and Development
  • B. 'Handbook on Social Welfare Statistics', brought out by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • C. 'Crime in India', brought out annually by the National Crime Records Bureau
  • D. The annual report on the working of constitutional safeguards presented under Article 338

Q6. With reference to the data on crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as reported by the National Crime Records Bureau, consider the following: 1. In 2023, 57,766 cases relating to Scheduled Castes were registered under the Act. 2. The all-India conviction rate in Scheduled Caste cases under the Act was 32.4 per cent in 2023. 3. In 2024, the all-India conviction rate in Scheduled Tribe cases was lower than that in Scheduled Caste cases. 4. The number of cases pending in courts under the Act was reported to be a little over thirty thousand. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. In 2023, 57,766 cases relating to Scheduled Castes were registered under the Act.
  2. The all-India conviction rate in Scheduled Caste cases under the Act was 32.4 per cent in 2023.
  3. In 2024, the all-India conviction rate in Scheduled Tribe cases was lower than that in Scheduled Caste cases.
  4. The number of cases pending in courts under the Act was reported to be a little over thirty thousand.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q7. The organisation that compiles the State-wise data on cases registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, placed before Parliament by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, functions under which one of the following ministries?

  • A. The Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. The Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • D. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment itself

Q8. In the atrocity statistics placed before Parliament, the term 'conviction rate' denotes which one of the following?

  • A. Cases ending in conviction as a proportion of cases in which trials were completed during the year
  • B. Cases ending in conviction as a proportion of all cases registered by the police during the year
  • C. Persons convicted as a proportion of all persons arrested by the police during the year
  • D. Cases in which charge sheets were filed as a proportion of cases investigated during the year

Q9. Which one of the following bodies is required to present to the President a report on the working of the constitutional safeguards for the Scheduled Castes?

  • A. The National Human Rights Commission, constituted under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
  • B. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes, constituted under Article 338 of the Constitution
  • C. The Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed under Article 350B of the Constitution
  • D. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, constituted under Article 338A of the Constitution

Q10. Besides the Chairperson who heads it and a Vice-Chairperson, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes consists of how many other Members?

  • A. Two other Members
  • B. Three other Members
  • C. Five other Members
  • D. Seven other Members

Q11. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which one of the following statements about the funding pattern is correct?

  • A. Union Territory Administrations receive the highest share, namely hundred per cent Central assistance
  • B. Every State receives hundred per cent Central assistance for all components of the Scheme
  • C. The entire expenditure, including the committed liability, is invariably borne by the Central Government
  • D. All North-Eastern and Himalayan States alone are funded on a ninety to ten sharing basis under the Scheme

Q12. Section 18A, inserted into the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the amendment of 2018, provides for which one of the following?

  • A. That no preliminary enquiry precedes registration of an FIR and no approval is needed for arrest, notwithstanding any court order
  • B. That the provision on anticipatory bail in the Code of Criminal Procedure shall not apply to persons accused of offences under the Act
  • C. That every district shall have an Exclusive Special Court, with the State Government specifying it for speedy trial of offences
  • D. That the State shall frame a scheme for the protection of victims, their dependents and witnesses in atrocity cases