DAPSC funds for Scheduled Castes: Govt monitors 38 ministries' spending
Synopsis
Despite a nodal officer framework and multiple high-level review meetings, DAPSC fund utilisation dropped to 85.65% in 2025-26 — the lowest in six years — reversing a steady improvement trend. With ₹ crores earmarked exclusively for Scheduled Castes welfare going unspent, the Centre's reinforced monitoring push faces its stiffest test yet.
Key Takeaways
MoS Ramdas Athawale told the Rajya Sabha on 9 August that the Centre is strengthening oversight of DAPSC fund utilisation across 38 Ministries and Departments .
Actual expenditure under DAPSC has remained below Revised Estimates in every year from 2020-21 to 2025-26 .
Utilisation rate fell to 85.65% in 2025-26 — the lowest since 81.61% in 2020-21 .
All 38 obligated Ministries have nominated a nodal officer for financial and physical monitoring of DAPSC funds.
Review meetings were held under MoS B.L.
Verma on 29 April 2025 and Secretary Sudhansh Pant on 25 August 2025 and 16 April 2026 .
The government attributed partial underutilisation to the general nature of schemes in certain Ministries.
The Union government has reinforced oversight mechanisms to ensure that funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC) are utilised optimally, Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale informed the Rajya Sabha on 9 August. The disclosure came in response to a parliamentary query and revealed that actual expenditure has consistently fallen short of revised estimates across every year from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
How the Monitoring Framework Works
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment oversees DAPSC fund utilisation across 38 obligated Ministries and Departments through periodic review meetings. These meetings are chaired by the Minister and the Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment.
In a significant step toward accountability, all 38 Ministries and Departments implementing DAPSC have designated a nodal officer tasked with financial and physical monitoring of DAPSC allocations within their respective departments, Athawale said.
Recent Review Meetings
Recent review sessions under DAPSC were convened under the chairpersonship of Minister of State B.L. Verma on 29 April 2025, and at the level of Social Justice and Empowerment Secretary Sudhansh Pant on 25 August 2025 and 16 April 2026. Ministries and Departments are also periodically communicated with to expedite expenditure and ensure funds do not lapse.
Utilisation Data: A Persistent Gap
The expenditure data presented by Athawale shows that actual spending under DAPSC has remained below Revised Estimates in every financial year since 2020-21. Utilisation as a percentage of Revised Estimates stood at 81.61% in 2020-21, rising to 91.22% in 2021-22, 91.90% in 2022-23, and peaking at 93.83% in 2023-24, before slipping to 92.57% in 2024-25 and dropping further to 85.65% in 2025-26.
Notably, the dip in 2025-26 marks the lowest utilisation rate since 2020-21, reversing a multi-year improving trend.
Why Funds Go Unspent
Athawale attributed the shortfall to the general nature of schemes operated by certain Ministries, where the earmarked funds cannot always be directed exclusively toward Scheduled Caste beneficiaries. He maintained that DAPSC funds are, by design, reserved solely for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, but implementation constraints in scheme structures lead to partial utilisation in some cases.
What Happens Next
The Centre has indicated it will continue strengthening monitoring and review mechanisms. With the utilisation rate declining sharply in 2025-26, pressure is likely to mount on underperforming Ministries to accelerate spending before the close of the current financial year. The nodal officer framework and periodic review meetings are expected to serve as the primary corrective levers going forward.
Point of View
But that argument has been available every year since 2020; the question is why it has worsened now. For a government that has consistently framed Scheduled Caste welfare as a political priority, a six-year low in fund utilisation is a metric that demands more than a parliamentary reply.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC)?
DAPSC is a Union government framework under which 38 Ministries and Departments earmark and spend funds specifically for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment oversees its implementation and monitors expenditure across all obligated ministries.
How much of DAPSC funds were utilised in 2025-26?
Actual expenditure in 2025-26 was 85.65% of Revised Estimates — the lowest utilisation rate since 2020-21, when it stood at 81.61%. This marks a reversal after utilisation had peaked at 93.83% in 2023-24.
Why are DAPSC funds not fully utilised?
MoS Ramdas Athawale attributed the shortfall to the general nature of schemes in certain Ministries, where funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes cannot always be directed exclusively to that group. He maintained that DAPSC funds are by design reserved solely for Scheduled Caste welfare.
What steps has the government taken to improve DAPSC fund utilisation?
All 38 obligated Ministries have been directed to nominate a nodal officer for financial and physical monitoring of DAPSC funds. High-level review meetings have been held — most recently on 29 April 2025, 25 August 2025, and 16 April 2026 — and periodic communications are issued to expedite spending.
Who oversees DAPSC implementation?
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment oversees DAPSC, with review meetings chaired by the Minister and the Secretary of the department. MoS Ramdas Athawale made the latest disclosure in a Rajya Sabha reply on 9 August.
