Legal and Compensation Mechanisms for Dalits

  • Under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, victims can receive monetary relief, emergency aid, and socio-economic rehabilitation. Compensation amounts vary (₹85,000 to ₹825,000) and can include pensions, housing, education for children, land grants, and employment support. Tamil Nadu, for example, enhanced the minimum relief to ₹100,000–₹1,200,000 fully funded by the state Wikipedia.

  • A 2025 case saw substantial relief extended: in a caste atrocity incident, the Karnataka district administration granted ₹8.3 lakh compensation to the family of a Dalit youth victim, plus a ₹5,000 monthly pension, home repairs, land title updates, and educational assistance The Times of India.

  • A notable court ruling in Maharashtra expanded compensation frameworks: the Bombay High Court (later upheld by the Supreme Court) recognized intellectual property—including research materials and data—as compensable “property” under the Act. Two Dalit researchers received compensation for stolen research assets globalforumcdwd.org.

Broader “Reparative” or Affirmative Measures

  • The Special Component Plan (SCSP), initiated in 1979, earmarked specific funding for Dalit welfare—scholarships, housing, employment support, and entrepreneurship—intended to bridge structural inequality Frontline.

  • In Telangana, a natural experiment involved a one-time wealth transfer of ₹1 million (~US$12,000) to Dalit households. This program showed positive outcomes: improved asset ownership and reduced caste conflict. However, it also revealed social backlash—reduced support for further affirmative measures among dominant groups. The findings were published by Harvard Kennedy School in December 2024 Harvard Kennedy School.

Advocacy, Protests, and Policy Dialogue Around Reparations

  • Some have called in the media for reparations in India. For instance, Suraj Yengde, author of Caste Matters, argues that formal reparations—land redistribution and material compensation—are necessary to reconcile India’s historical injustices toward Dalits The Indian Express.

  • Activists continue to push boundaries. For example, Dalit Christians are demanding inclusion under Scheduled Caste protections and reservations—mobilizing protests, including recent demonstrations in Madurai The Times of India.

  • Organizations like the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) work on economic, social, and legal rights, land entitlements, disaster response discrimination, and securing financial remedies for victims Wikipedia.