The Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the Union Budget for 2011-12 has announced that specific allocations are being earmarked towards Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan for the first time in the Budget for 2011-12. These will be shown in the Budget of the relevant Ministries and Departments under separate minor heads of account.

Referring to the allocation for primitive tribal groups, the Finance Minister announced that it is being increased from Rs.185 crore in 2010-11 to Rs.244 crore in 2011-12.

Emphasising that empowerment flows from Education , the Finance Minister said that a new pre-matric Scholarship Scheme will be introduced in 2011-12 for needy students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes studying in classes ninth and tenth. Shri Mukherjee pointed out that the new scheme would benefit about 40 lakh Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

Earmarked allocations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plans to be shown under separate minor heads, enhancing transparency. Allocations for the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan must be shown separately in Ministries' and Departments' budgets under distinct minor heads to enable identification and tracking of targeted expenditures. The Budget also increases resources for primitive tribal groups and introduces a pre-matric scholarship scheme for needy SC/ST students in classes nine and ten, projected to benefit about forty lakh students.