The official name given in India to the lowest caste, considered ‘untouchable’ in orthodox Hindu scriptures and practice, officially regarded as socially disadvantaged.
Example sentencesExamples
- Scheduled tribes and scheduled castes were more likely to consume tobacco than other caste groups.
- A higher proportion of intervention children came from the scheduled caste or tribes.
- A study of health care among scheduled castes showed that 38% sought private medical help when their children became ill, compared with 28% for government health facilities.