(a) whether a person borne out of parents with mother being SC/ST and father non-SC/ST,
is eligible to draw SC/ST benefits;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to extend all Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe
(ST) benefits to the such persons; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT (SHRI D. NAPOLEON)
(a) to (d): Extant instructions of the Government in regard to status of an offspring born of inter-caste
marriages, where one of the spouses is a (I) Scheduled Caste, or (II) Scheduled Tribe, are as follows:-
(I) where one of the spouses is a SC:
Irrespective of the fact whether the father or the mother is a member of Scheduled Caste community,
the crucial test is that a child born out of such a wedlock should have been brought up in that
surrounding and in that community, and accepted by them as their member. Each case has to be
examined in the light of the circumstances prevalent in that case and final decision taken.
(II) where one of the spouses is a ST:
Main determining factor is the recognition and acceptance by the society of the children born out of such
a marriage. The final result will always depend upon on whether the child was accepted as a member of the
Scheduled Tribe or not. However, each case has to be examined in the light of the existing facts and
circumstances in such cases and final decision taken