Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
The complaints / allegation of atrocities despite, provisions of the enabling Act against the members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) is matter of concern. The Act has accordingly been strengthened to make the relevant provisions of the Act more effective. Based on the consultation process with all the stakeholders, amendments in the PoA Act were proposed to broadly cover five areas namely (i) Amendments to Chapter II (Offences of Atrocities) to include new definitions, new offences, to re-phrase existing sections and expand the scope of presumptions, (ii) Institutional Strengthening, (iii) Appeals (a new section), (iv) Establishing Rights of Victims and Witnesses (a new chapter) and (v) strengthening preventive measures. The objective of these amendments in the PoA Act is to deliver members of STs, a greater justice as well as be an enhanced deterrent to the offenders. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 (No.1 of 2016) has been notified in the Gazette of India Extraordinary on 01.01.2016. In view of its sub-section (2) of section (1), the Central Government has appointed 26.01.2016 as the date of enforcement of the Amendment Act, notified in the Gazelle of India, Extraordinary, on 18.01.2016. The copies of the gazelle notifications issued in this regard are appended.