Article 338 of the Constitution provides for a Special Officer for the
Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled Tribes to  investigate  all   matters
relating  to  the  safeguards provided for the  Scheduled  Castes   and
Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution and to report to the President
on their working.  It is felt that a high level five-member Commission
under  article 338 will be a more effective arrangement in respect  of
the  constitutional  safeguards  for Scheduled  Castes  and   Scheduled
Tribes  than a single Special Officer as at present.  It is also  felt
that it is necessary to elaborate the functions of the said Commission
so as to cover measures that should be taken by the Union or any State
for  the  effective  implementation  of  those  safeguards   and  other
measures for the protection, welfare and socio-economic development of
the  Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled Tribes and to  entrust   to  the
Commission such other functions in relation to the protection, welfare
and  development and advancement of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes as the President may, subject to any law made by Parliament, by
rule  specify.   It  is  also felt that  the  reports   of  the  said
Commission shall be laid before Parliament and the Legislatures of the
States.

2. The Bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objects.

NEW DELHI;                                     RAM VILAS PASWAN.

The 21st May, 1990.

   THE CONSTITUTION (SIXTY-FIFTH AMENDMENT) ACT 1990

                                                [7th June, 1990.]

An Act further to amend the Constitution of India.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-first Year of the Republic of
India as follows:-

1.   Short  title  and commencement.-(1) This Act may  be  called  the
Constitution (Sixty-fifth Amendment) Act, 1990.

(2)  It  shall  come  into  force on  such  date_677  as  the  Central
Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2.  Amendment of article 338.-In article 338 of the Constitution,-

(a)  for the marginal heading, the following marginal heading shall be
substituted, namely:-

"National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.";

(b)  for  clauses  (1)  and  (2),    the  following  clauses  shall  be
substituted, namely:-

"(1)  There  shall  be  a   Commission for  the  Scheduled  Castes  and
Scheduled  Tribes  to  be  known as the National  Commission   for  the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

(2)  Subject  to  the  provisions of any law made in  this  behalf  by
Parliament,   the   Commission  shall   consist   of   a   Chairperson,
Vice-Chairperson  and five other Members and the conditions of service
and  tenure  of office of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and  other
Members  so  appointed  shall  be such as the President  may   by  rule
determine.

(3)  The  Chairperson,  Vice-Chairperson   and  other  Members  of  the
Commission  shall  be appointed by the President by warrant under  his
hand and seal.

(4) The Commission shall have the power to regulate its own procedure.

(5) It shall be the duty of the Commission-

(a)  to  investigate and monitor all matters relating  the  safeguards
provided  for  the  Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes  under   this
Constitution  or  under any other law for the time being in  force  or
under  any order of the Government and to evaluate the working of such
safeguards;

(b)   to  inquire  into  specific    complaints  with  respect  to  the
deprivation  of  rights  and safeguards of the  Scheduled  Castes   and
Scheduled Tribes;

(c)   to   participate  and   advise  on  the   planning   process   of
socio-economic  development  of  the Scheduled  Castes  and   Scheduled
Tribes  and  to evaluate the progress of their development  under  the
Union and any State;

(d)  to present to the President, annually and at such other times  as
the  Commission  may  deem  fit, reports upon  the  working   of  those
safeguards;

(e)  to  make in such reports recommendations as to the measures  that
should  be  taken  by  the  Union  or  any  State   for  the  effective
implementation  of  those  safeguards  and   other   measures  for  the
protection,  welfare  and socio-economic development of the  Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes;  and

(f)  to discharge such other functions in relation to the  protection,
welfare  and  development and advancement of the Scheduled Castes  and
Scheduled  Tribes  as the President may, subject to the provisions  of
any law made by Parliament, by rule specify.

(6)  The President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each
House  of  Parliament  along with a memorandum explaining  the   action
taken  or proposed to be taken on the recommendations relating to  the
Union  and the reasons for the non-acceptance, if any, of any of  such
recommendations.

(7)  Where any such report, or any part thereof, relates to any matter
with  which  any State Government is concerned, a copy of such  report
shall  be forwarded to the Governor of the State who shall cause it to
be  laid  before the Legislature of the State along with a  memorandum
explaining  the  action  taken  or  proposed   to   be  taken  on   the
recommendations  relating  to  the  State  and  the   reasons  for  the
non-acceptance, if any, of any of such recommendations.

(8)  The Commission shall, while investigating any matter referred  to
in  sub-clause  (a)  or inquiring into any complaint  referred   to  in
sub-clause  (b)  of clause (5), have all the powers of a  civil  court
trying  a suit and in particular in respect of the following matters,
namely:-

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part
of India and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;

(c) receiving evidence on affidavits;

(d) requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or
office;

(e)  issuing  commissions  for  the    examination  of  witnesses   and
documents;

(f) any other matter which the President may, by rule, determine.

(9)  The Union and every State Government shall consult the Commission
on  all major policy matters affecting Scheduled Castes and  Scheduled
Tribes.";

(c) existing clause (3) shall be renumbered as clause (10).