Society · 24 Oct 2026

SC scholarship and SC/ST Atrocities Act

Consider the following statements:

  1. Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form.
  2. After its 2015 amendment, Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act applies where an offence is committed knowing that the victim is a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, without proof that it was committed "on the ground of" caste.
  3. The pre-matric scholarship for children of parents engaged in occupations involving cleaning and prone to health hazards was first launched in 2018.
A1 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 2 only
D1, 2 and 3
This question is based on: When the Scholarship Register Becomes a Caste Register
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 24 Oct 2026
About this question

Why in news

A 16-year-old Dalit student in Coimbatore died by suicide on 21 October 2026. It followed alleged caste harassment after a teacher publicly identified SC students during a scholarship enrolment. Police invoked BNS Section 108 and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act.

Why for UPSC

UPSC pairs a constitutional provision with a statutory amendment and a scheme's history. The trap is mistaking a 2018 renaming for a 2018 launch.

Prelims summary

Article 17 abolishes untouchability. Since 2015, Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act needs only knowledge of the victim's caste. The pre-matric scholarship dates from 1977-78 and was renamed in 2018.

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