Composition of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
It consists of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and 3 other full-time (including 1 female member) members appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. The status of Chairman is that of a Cabinet Minister and the Vice-Chairman holds the rank of a Minister of State and other members have the rank of a Secretary to the Indian Government. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and other members hold the office for a period of 3 years. Members cannot be appointed for more than two terms.
National Commission For Scheduled Tribes
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is a constitutional body. It safeguards the interest of the Scheduled Tribes in India. The Commission is committed to the full implementation of various acts like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (POA) Act, 1989, PCR Act, 1955, etc. It also offers protection to the Scheduled Tribes community from exploitation and discrimination and provides facilities to uplift the community.
After independence, the definition included in the 1931 Census was used in the initial years to define the criteria for the recognition of the Scheduled Tribes in the Indian Constitution.
According to the Census 1931, Scheduled Tribes are “backward tribes” living in the “excluded” and “partially excluded” areas in the Provincial Assembly. The Government of India Act 1935 for the first time called for the representatives of “backward tribes”. Odisha is the only state where around 62 tribal communities are found which is the largest in number. In the states like Delhi, Pondicherry, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab, no tribe was identified.