On December 6, during the ongoing winter parliamentary session, Sandeep Kumar Pathak (AAP) inquired about the vacancies that exist in the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). Responding to these question, Bishweswar Tudu, who is currently serving as the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti, apprised the Rajya Sabha by providing the details of the vacant positions in the NCST. As per the reply, at present there are a total of four posts lying vacant at the commission, which includes one post of Chairperson, one post of Vice-Chairperson and two posts of members. It is pertinent to note that these vacancies have been lying vacant for a significant amount of time. As per the reply, the post of the chairperson of the NCST has been vacant since June 27, 2023 while the post of the Vice-Chairperson has been lying vacant for more than four years, since July 27, 2019. The other two posts of the members of the commission has vacant since January 16, 2020.
The data provided by the union is extremely worrying and raises concerns regarding the working of the said commission as the composition of the NCST prescribes 1 chairperson, 1 vice-chairperson and three full time members. According to the data, the said commission has only one working member at present as 4 out of its 5 posts are lying vacant.
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During the winter session of 2022, a response by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the Lok Sabha had detailed the number of cases being registered in the NCST. As per the data, the following could be deduced:
- In the year 2021, the number of cases registered under NCST were 8,802. Out of these aforementioned cases, the cases charge sheeted were around 7,186. Surprisingly, only 548 cases were reached convictions.
- In 2020, the number of cases registered under NCST were 8,272. Out of this, the cases charge sheeted were 6,484. Worryingly, the number of convictions that were delivered in 2020 were only 347, less than half of the convictions that took place in 2019.
- In the year 2019, the number of cases registered under NCST were 7,570. Out of 7570, the cases charge sheeted were 5,918 and 741 cases were convicted.
The table below shows the data from 2019 to 2021 regarding the cases dealt by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes –
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The vacancies within the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) present a concerning scenario, with critical positions remaining unfilled for an extended period. This shortage impacts the commission’s ability to effectively address the myriad issues faced by Scheduled Tribes. As can be observed from the data on case registrations, charge sheets, and convictions from 2019 to 2021, a disconcerting trend is underscored which highlights the registration of a substantial number of cases with a significantly low conviction rate. Notably, as pointed above, there has been a drop in the number of convictions since 2019, the same time since post vacancies were generated in the commission. The widening gap between registered cases and successful convictions warrants a thorough investigation into the reasons behind this disparity. It is crucial that immediate attention is given to filling the vacant positions within the NCST to ensure the commission’s functionality and its crucial role in addressing the rights and welfare of Scheduled Tribes across the nation. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to the low conviction rates is imperative to rectify systemic issues hindering justice for these communities.
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