The Scheduled Castes (SCs), also known as the Dalit, and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) are two groupings of historically disadvantaged people that are given express recognition in the Constitution of India. During the period of British rule in the Indian sub-continent they were known as the Depressed Classes.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up around 15% and 7.5% respectively of the population of India, or around 24% altogether, according to the 2001 Census. The proportion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the country's population has steadily risen since independence in 1947.

The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 lists 1,108 castes across 25 states in its First Schedule, while the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule.

Since Independence, the Scheduled Castes have benefited by the "Reservation" policy. This policy became an integral part of the Constitution through the efforts of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, regarded as the father of the Indian constitution, who participated in Round Table Conferences and fought for the rights of the Depressed Classes. The Constitution lays down general principles for the policy of affirmative action for the SCs and STs.

Adivasi (Sanskrit: Nepali: Hindi: आदिवासी; ādivāsī) is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India. The word is used in the same sense in Nepal as is another word janajati (Nepali: जनजाति; janajāti), although the political context differed historically under the Shah and Rana dynasties.

Adivasi societies are particularly present in the Indian Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Mizoram, and other northeastern states, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many smaller tribal groups are quite sensitive to ecological degradation caused by modernization. Both commercial forestry and intensive agriculture have proved destructive to the forests that had endured swidden agriculture for many centuries. Officially recognized by the Indian government as "Scheduled Tribes" in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, they are often grouped together with scheduled castes in the category "Scheduled Castes and Tribes", which is eligible for certain affirmative action measures.

Sumitra Mahajan (born 12 April 1943) is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) political party. Currently, she is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. She has been representing the Indore constituency of Madhya Pradesh since 1989 at 9th Lok Sabha.

She is a former union minister of state of India.She was minister from 2002 to 2004 and held portfolios of Human Resources, Communications and Petroleum. She studied at Indore University for MA and LLB.

Sumitra Mahajan was born to Usha and Purushotam Sathe in Chiplun, Maharashtra. She accomplished her M.A. and LL.B from Indore University (now Devi Ahilya University) after marrying late Jayant Mahajan of Indore.

She contested and won first time Lok Sabha Elections in 1989, against former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prakash Chandra Sethi. She has bought many projects for Indore from Railways, Aviation, Urban Development Ministry . She is known for simplicity , honesty and clean politics. She has a clean track record and has always maintained distances from Special Interest Group. She is popularly known as Tai (Sister), among people of her constituency.

Bishnu Pada Ray (born 19 June 1950, Nalanda, 24 Parganas district, West Bengal) is an Indian politician and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 1999, he was elected to 13th Lok Sabha from Andaman and Nicobar Islands constituency. In 2009, he was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from the same constiteuncy.

Sharad Yadav, a politician from the Janata Dal (United) party, is currently^[when?] a member of the Parliament of India representing the Madhepura constituency of Bihar in the Lok Sabha. He had also represented Bihar in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

He is also the current^[when?] convener of the NDA

He was also a member of the Indian Parliament from the Jabalpur constituency in Madhya Pradesh in 1977.

Sharad Yadav, along with others, were named in infamous multi-crore Hawala scandal for receiving 300,000 rupees towards a party fund. He was acquitted by Delhi High Court citing many reasons including that he did not confess and there was a lack of evidence of his guilt.