In India, inter-caste marriages are often perceived as a courageous and significant step. Despite advancements in education and changes in traditional livelihoods, many regions still uphold the practice of intra-caste marriages. Unfortunately, inter-caste married couples frequently face severe challenges, including physical assault, social isolation, and economic boycott. To help these couples begin anew, financial support is crucial.
The government introduced Dr. Ambedkar Scheme for Social Integration through Inter-caste Marriages in 2013 under the aegis of Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The objective of the nation-wide scheme is to extend financial support to the inter-caste marriage couples to help them integrate into the mainstream of life.
Objective: To appreciate the socially bold step of an inter-caste marriage taken by the newly married couple and to extend financial incentive to the couple to enable them to settle down in the initial phase of their married life
Amount of Incentive: The incentive for a legal inter-caste marriage is Rs. 2.5 lakh per couple. The eligible couple will receive an amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh after approval of the application into their joint account. The remaining Rs. 1 lakh will be kept in a fixed deposit for a period of 3 years. This amount will be released to the couple along with the interest accrued thereon on 3 years of sanction of incentive by foundation.
Eligibility:
- One of the spouses should belong to a Scheduled Caste and other should belong to a non-Scheduled Caste
- The marriage should be valid as per law and duly registered under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955
- Proposal for incentive must be submitted within one year of marriage
- No incentive for second or subsequent marriages
- A couple who have already received incentive from a state or UT government is not eligible again
Extent of Incentive:
- Incentive to be provided to 500 marriages in one year
- Physical target for each state is fixed in proportion to the percentage share of SC population as per 2011 census
- Rs. 25,000 would be released to the district administration for organising a program in which the incentive can be handed over to the couple
Required Documents:
- The Certificate that one of the spouses belongs to the Scheduled Caste Community.
- The Marriage Certificate duly registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
- The Caste Certificate issued by the Competent Authorities in respect of the bride and bridegroom.
- The application should be within one year of marriage.
- A certificate to the effect that it is the first marriage of both bride and bridegroom.
- The income certificate of both husband and wife issued by competent authority. (Note:- The condition that the total income of the newly-wedded couple should not exceed Rs 5 lakh per annum was later scrapped, and now there is no income limit for incentive under the scheme)
How to Apply:
The proposal in the given format should be recommended by either the sitting MP/ MLA or District Collector and submitted to the foundation by State Government/ District Collector/ Deputy Commissioner
As of April 1, 2023, the scheme has been merged with the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Under this merger, the incentive for inter-caste marriages has been uniformly set at Rs. 2.5 lakhs for all States and Union Territories, to be kept in a fixed deposit, jointly in the name of the couple(the first name being of the woman) in a Government/Nationalised bank for three years without facility for its premature encashment. The scheme covers the expenses incurred in the incentive amount.
Via: MoSJE
This scheme plays a vital role in promoting social integration and supporting inter-caste marriages in India.
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