The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 may be seen as giving effect to which of the following Fundamental Rights? 1. Equality before the Law 2. Right against Discrimination 3. Abolition of Untouchability 4. Right to Freedom of Religion Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was enacted to protect the dignity and rights of marginalized communities by providing legal safeguards against atrocities [6]. It gives effect to several Fundamental Rights under the Right to Equality. Specifically, it upholds Article 14 (Equality before the Law) and Article 15 (Right against Discrimination) by addressing systemic inequalities and prohibiting caste-based discrimination [5]. Furthermore, it is a critical legislative tool for the enforcement of Article 17 (Abolition of Untouchability), as it criminalizes acts that impose social disabilities on SCs and STs [5]. While Article 25 (Right to Freedom of Religion) allows the State to open Hindu religious institutions to all classes, the 1989 Act primarily focuses on preventing criminal atrocities and social discrimination rather than religious practice or conscience [5]. Thus, it directly implements the principles of equality, non-discrimination, and the abolition of untouchability.

Sources

1. [2] https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15338/1/scheduled_castes_and_the_scheduled_tribes.pdf
2. [6] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 35: TABLES > FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS > p. 527
3. [5] https://nhrc.nic.in/assets/uploads/publication/Civil%20Rights.pdf
4. [4] https://ncsc.nic.in/constitutional-safeguards
5. [1] https://nhapoa.gov.in/schemes/Handbook.pdf