Context: Recently, there have been talks related to National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) that its tasks should be reimagined to make it a transformative agency for the Dalit community.
Constitutional Background of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• It is a constitutional body under article 338 appointed by the President.
• It has been established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Caste.
• It shall be the duty of the commission to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under this Constitution.
• 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.
• Lack of infrastructure, lack of powers to take affirmative action (Commissions recommendations are not binding) have been some of the issues faced by the NCSC.
• It has been criticised for inefficient functioning, vague selection and appointment process, exorbitant budget etc.

Importance for National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• The Commission has a constitutional mandate to participate in the social and economic planning for SC welfare and it should use this mandate to guide the IAS officers in Phase 3, 4 and 5 of their training.
• It is committed to the full implementation of the various acts like the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• It will endeavor to ensure that the economic development schemes for SC population are implemented as per guidelines.

Measures to be adopted for success of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• Strengthening the legal and judicial protection of Dalits: It is required to strengthen the legal and judicial protection of Dalits under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for filing and investigating cases: There is a requirement for development of SOPs for filing and investigating cases under relevant laws and make them available in all languages at all police stations.
• Rewarding successful prosecutors: We need to reward prosecutors who succeed in getting convictions in cases charged under the SC/ST Act i.e. successful prosecution is a true metric rather than the registration of a case at the police station.
• Online tracking and reporting of crimes: Irrespective of the jurisdiction, there is a need of online reporting and tracking of crimes.
• Training and capacity building: It is required to have training and capacity building of judges, lawyers, and policemen.
• Establishment of internal structures within organisations: It is required to create internal structures within organisations to respond to complaints such as internal complaints committees for sexual harassment and minimising criminal procedures if possible.
• Creation of a network of Scheduled Caste alumni of IIMs and IITs: It will be a good idea to create a network of Scheduled Caste alumni of IIMs and IITs and encourage them to suggest and implement ideas within and around their own organisations that advance economic empowerment of Dalits.

Role of Government in revamping the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• Effective and Participatory Efforts of the Government: Each ministry should set aside atleast 15 per cent of its spending in a Scheduled Caste Sub Plan(SCP).
• Collaboration of NCSC and Legislators: The NCSC should work with legislators to identify four or five priorities across all government schemes and reorient all spending (SCP) around those priorities.
• Employment generation and self-employment: The ministries should pool their resources across two or three relevant departments for employment generation and self-employment, capacity building, including soft skills.
• Regular scrutiny of Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCP): The government should track the output of SCPs every quarter and then every month through a dashboard, similar to Niti Aayog tracking development in the “Aspirational Districts”
• Ranking of states on implementation of SCP: Similar to ranking of states on the basis of cleanliness, there should be a monthly recognition and reward for departments that do the best.
• Strengthening the scheme of reservations in public sector procurement: The Commission could also have a role in facilitating economic empowerment and entrepreneurship through strengthening the scheme of reservations in public sector procurement.

Role of Civil Organisations in helping National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• We need to catalyse social change through civil society, corporations, and communities.
• The Commission can create a platform for structured engagement with civil society groups working on Dalit issues
• We must listen to Dalit legislators and leaders, across parties and groups, inviting their constructive suggestions.
• The government must listen and represent a new generation of ambitious persons who want to do more for themselves, their families, and their country.

Road Ahead

• The start of a new decade has called for new thoughts and new actions which are needed by citizens, civil society, and governments to advance the socioeconomic empowerment of the Dalits and National Commission for Scheduled Castes can prove to be that agency.
• We should invite Central universities to give us proposals that identify the five biggest challenges that Dalits are likely to face in the next five years and suggest ways to mitigate them.
• Social identities are so entrenched in our society that they often decide the fate of individuals. Jobs, schemes and policing are not the only things that can ensure equality of social representation and access to dignity in India. Restructuring the tasks of NCSC can only be one among the many steps in this direction.
• Empowerment in its real sense can only be brought by creating sensitive and empathetic societies that acknowledge their responsibility to work for the removal of suffering and stigma of exploited and deprived sections.