Data / Power / What Parliament asks about Dalits: 270 of 34,720 Lok Sabha questions named SCs or Dalits

Methods and sources

What Parliament asks about Dalits: 270 of 34,720 Lok Sabha questions named SCs or Dalits

Back to the piece

What this shows

How many of the questions answered in the 18th Lok Sabha name Scheduled Castes or Dalits in their titles, which ministries answered them, and on what subjects, session by session.

What it does not show: What the answers say, which members asked, or questions about SCs whose titles do not name them; nor the Rajya Sabha, Parliament’s upper house.

Sources

  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Questions and answers, 18th Lok Sabha: the record of each of 34,720 questions (number, type, date, session, ministry and title), dated 9 Oct 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 133, “Financial Assistance to Scheduled Castes in Andhra Pradesh”, answered by the Ministry of Finance, dated 20 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 182, “SC Beneficiaries under Samagra Shiksha”, answered by the Ministry of Education, dated 20 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 286, “Post-Matric Scholarship Disbursements for SC Students”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 324, “PM-Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 331, “Manual Scavengers”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 336, “Post-Matric Scholarship for SC, OBC and EWS Students”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 431, “Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Scheduled Castes”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 443, “Eradication of Manual Scavenging”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 21 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1442, “Scheduled Caste Welfare Schemes”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 28 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1464, “Adarsh Gram under PM-AJAY”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 28 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1488, “Economic Data of Scheduled Castes”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 28 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1522, “Atrocities against SC Communities”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 28 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1732, “Reservation Policy for SC/ST in Railways”, answered by the Ministry of Railways, dated 29 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2070, “Procurement of Goods from Women & SC/ST owned MSEs”, answered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, dated 30 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2223, “Special Courts Under Prevention of Atrocities and Prevention of Civil Rights Act”, answered by the Ministry of Law and Justice, dated 31 Jul 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2402, “Dropout Rates of SC/ST/OBC/EWS Students in HEIs”, answered by the Ministry of Education, dated 3 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Starred Question 240, “Beneficiaries under PM-AJAY”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2555, “Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2562, “Deaths due to Manual Scavenging”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2687, “Freeship Card under the PMS-SC”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2690, “Posts Reserved for SC, ST and OBC”, answered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2691, “Welfare of SC/ST/OBC, Divyangjan and Social Equality”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2730, “Manual Scavengers”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2751, “Sub-Classification within the Scheduled Caste Category”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 4 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3558, “Implementation of DoPT Reservation Rules for SC/ST/OBC”, answered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, dated 10 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Starred Question 332, “Scholarships for SC Students”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3719, “Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3747, “Constitution of Task Force under the SC/ST Act, 1989”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3776, “Status of SC Student Hostels under PM-AJAY”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3783, “Funding of Residential Schools and Hostels for SC, ST and OBC Students”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3811, “Participation of SC, ST and Minorities in PRIs”, answered by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3852, “Post-Matric Scholarship Funds for Scheduled Castes”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3853, “Scholarship Distribution for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.
  • Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha eLibrary, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3906, “Scholarship for SCs Students Enrolled Abroad”, answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, dated 11 Aug 2026. Primary source.

Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

Read these with the numbers

  • Titles are short. A question about Scheduled Castes under a title that does not name them (for example one on post-matric scholarships in general) is not counted, so every count here is a floor.
  • Questions that name Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes or others alongside SCs are counted whole: the count is of questions that name SCs or Dalits, not of questions only about them.
  • The eLibrary holds no questions for session 1 of the 18th Lok Sabha (June and July 2024), so the count starts with session 2.
  • The figures are the eLibrary’s records on 9 October 2026. The latest session’s records run to 12 August 2026; any answers it has not yet added are not counted.
  • The Rajya Sabha is not covered: its questions are kept in a separate system, not yet read.

Key terms

Lok Sabha
The lower, directly elected House of India’s Parliament. The 18th Lok Sabha was elected in 2024.
Question Hour
The first hour of most sittings, when ministers answer members’ questions.
Starred question
A question answered orally in the House during Question Hour.
Unstarred question
A question answered in writing, laid on the table of the House.
SC
Scheduled Castes, the castes listed under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
PM-AJAY
Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (“Anusuchit Jaati” is Hindi for Scheduled Caste), a Union scheme for SCs; its questions are answered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Changelog and corrections

Version 1: First version: 34,720 questions from sessions 2 to 8 of the 18th Lok Sabha, 270 of them naming SCs or Dalits.

How corrections work. Every change is listed here.

Cite this

The Dalit Project, “What Parliament asks about Dalits: 270 of 34,720 Lok Sabha questions named SCs or Dalits”, version 1, data.dalitproject.org/question-hour/, as on 9 Oct 2026.