Synopsis Since obtaining independence in 1947, Indian Governments have been deeply concerned with widespread poverty and have implemented various anti-poverty schemes. However, rural poverty remains persistent, with the headcount ratio being 30.2 percent in 1999/2000. Particularly troubling is the concentration of rural poverty in India in the ‘Scheduled Caste’ (SC) and ‘Scheduled Tribe’ (ST) populations. The presence of such disparity in the incidence of poverty and wide spread discrimination against scheduled groups have long histories in India.”