National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) is an Indian constitutional body established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution.
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 were formed as per 1987 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.
Consequent upon the Constitution (Eighty-Ninth Amendment) Act, 2003 the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes has been replaced by
(1) National Commission for Scheduled Castes and
(2) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
The first National Commission for Scheduled Castes was constituted on 2004 with Suraj Bhan as the Chairperson.
The Second National Commission for Scheduled Castes in series was constituted on May 2007 with Buta Singh as the Chairperson.
The Third National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been constituted on October 2010 with P.L.Punia as the Chairperson.
The Fourth National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been constituted in 2013 with P.L. Punia as the Chairperson.
The following are the functions of the commission: