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SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015
The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015 amends the 1989 law criminalising caste‑based violence against Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It expands offence definitions, imposes harsher penalties and creates fast‑track courts to deter atrocities. For instance, filing a false complaint now carries up to two years’ imprisonment.
The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015 reshaped India’s principal anti‑caste‑violence legislation by widening the catalogue of punishable offences, tightening procedural safeguards, and institutionalising fast‑track courts. Enacted as Act No. 26 of 2015, it amended the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 to address persistent gaps that allowed perpetrators to evade prosecution and victims to languish without relief. Its hallmark is the introduction of a statutory presumption of guilt for false complaints, coupled with a mandatory compensation regime for victims, making it one of the most robust protective statutes for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Historical Background
The original 1989 Act emerged from Article 341 and 342 of the Constitution, which guarantee protection for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) against social discrimination. Landmark judgments such as State of Madhya Pradesh v. Laxmi Narayan (1995) and M. C. Sharma v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2000) highlighted enforcement weaknesses, prompting periodic parliamentary reviews. By 2014, the National Crime Records Bureau reported over 45,000 registered atrocities, yet conviction rates hovered below 30 %, underscoring systemic inertia. In response, the Union Cabinet approved the amendment on 31 December 2015, and President Pranab Mukher