National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

• Context (TH): Congress says the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) chief was ‘forced to resign’.
• NCST is a Constitutional body established under Article 338A of the Indian Constitution (IC).
• Initially, Article 338 of the IC provided for the appointment of a Special Officer for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to investigate all matters relating to the constitutional safeguards for the SCs and STs and to report to the President on their working.
• The 65^th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1990 established the National Commission for SCs and STs under Article 338 of the IC.
• A separate National Commission for STs (NCST) was constituted by the 89^th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003, which amended Article 338 and inserted a new Article 338A in the IC.

Composition of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

• It consists of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and three other members.
• They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• The President also determines their conditions of service and tenure of office.