3 weeks ago
Government strengthens monitoring of Scheduled Castes welfare fund spending
The government of India sets aside money to help people from a group called Scheduled Castes.
This money is part of a plan called the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes, or DAPSC.
Many different government departments get this money to spend on helping people.
The government wants to make sure the money is actually used well, so it watches how it is spent.
It holds review meetings and has asked all 38 departments to choose a special officer to keep track of the money.
The government checks how much of the money gets spent each year.
In some years, departments spent more than 90% of the money they were given.
But they have never used all of it, and in 2025-26 only about 85% was spent.
Sometimes the money is not fully used because some schemes are for everyone, not just for Scheduled Castes.
The government says it will keep monitoring to make sure the money helps the people it is meant for.
Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale told the Rajya Sabha that the government has strengthened monitoring and review of Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC) funds.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment oversees DAPSC fund utilisation by 38 obligated Ministries/Departments through periodic review meetings.
All 38 DAPSC-implementing Ministries/Departments have nominated a nodal officer for financial and physical monitoring of funds.
Actual expenditure under DAPSC remained below Revised Estimates in every year from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
Utilisation of Revised Estimates ranged from 81.61% in 2020-21 to a peak of 93.83% in 2023-24, falling to 85.65% in 2025-26.
- Who
- Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, and 38 Ministries/Departments implementing DAPSC.
- What
- The government has strengthened monitoring and review mechanisms to ensure optimal utilisation of DAPSC funds for Scheduled Castes welfare, with actual expenditure remaining below Revised Estimates each year from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
- Where
- New Delhi, in the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament.
- When
- Announced in a recent reply to a Rajya Sabha query; recent review meetings were held on April 29, 2025, August 25, 2025, and April 16, 2026.
- Why
- To ensure optimal utilisation of funds earmarked for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes.
Key facts
- Scheme
- Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC)
- Obligated Ministries/Departments
- 38
- Monitoring body
- Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
- Utilisation of Revised Estimates 2020-21
- 81.61%
- Utilisation of Revised Estimates 2021-22
- 91.22%
- Peak utilisation (2023-24)
- 93.83%
- Utilisation of Revised Estimates 2025-26
- 85.65%
- Nodal officers
- Appointed in all 38 DAPSC-implementing Ministries/Departments










