Linking a marginal dip in caste atrocity cases in Odisha to the rise in inter-caste marriages in the same period, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Monday said, "Inter-caste marriages need to be promoted on a higher scale to bring equality in the society."
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, he said that though the Centre and the Odisha Government had schemes to promote inter-caste marriage, more needed to be done to "promote it on a higher scale".
The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation of the Ministry already provides ₹2.5 lakh to inter-caste couples getting married and the Odisha Government also runs a similar scheme for support.