National Commission for SCs and STs

The framers of the Constitution took note of the fact that certain communities in the country were suffering from extreme social, educational and economic backwardness arising out of age-old practice of untouchability and certain others on account of this primitive agricultural practices, lack of infrastructure facilities and geographical isolation, and who need special consideration for safeguarding their interests and for their accelerated socio-economic development. These communities were notified as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as per provisions contained in Clause 1 of Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution respectively.

Commission for SCs and STs

• The first Commission for SC and ST was set up in August 1978 with Shri Bhola Paswan Shastri as chairman and other four Members.
• In 1990 the Commission for SCs and STs was renamed as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and it was set up as a National Level Advisory Body to advise the Government on broad policy issues and levels of development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• The first Commission was constituted in 1992 with Shri S.H. Ramdhan as chairman. The second Commission was constituted in October 1995 with Shri H. Hanumanthappa as chairman.
• The third Commission was constituted in December 1998 with Shri Dileep Singh Bhuria as the chairman.
• The fourth Commission was constituted in March 2002 with Dr. Bizay Sonkar Shastri as the Chairperson.

NCSC and NCST until 2004 were same body, by 89th amendment to constitution National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely.

• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).