ST Commission to seek report from NTCA on villages’ relocation from tiger reserves

News: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is considering representations sent to it against a June advisory of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which asked state forest departments to submit action plans on the relocation of villages from tiger reserve.

1. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST): It is a constitutional body that aims to safeguard the rights of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and address their grievances and issues.

2. It was established under Article 338A of the constitution, which was inserted through the 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.

3. It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and 3 other members, who are appointed by the President of India.

4. Key functions of NCST include: advising the President of India on matters related to the welfare of the STs, monitoring implementation of safeguards designed to promote the interests of STs, redressing the grievances of STs.

5. Other statutory measures for promoting the welfare of STs include: A) Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 B) Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 C) Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 D) Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.