Sixty-fifth Amendment Act: National Commission for SC/ST

The question asks about a specific provision introduced by the Sixty-fifth Amendment Act of 1990 concerning the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Provision Introduced by the 65th Amendment Act

The Sixty-fifth Amendment Act of 1990 was a significant legislative change in India aimed at improving the administrative setup for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

This amendment introduced the following key provision:

• Establishment of a multi-member National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Prior to this amendment, the Constitution had provisioned for a single Special Officer under Article 338 to look into the safeguards for SCs and STs. The 65th Amendment Act replaced this arrangement by creating a high-powered, multi-member body, the National Commission for SCs and STs, to investigate and monitor matters relating to constitutional safeguards for these communities more effectively.

The creation of this multi-member National Commission aimed to provide a more robust and dedicated institutional mechanism to address the specific needs and protect the rights and interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across India.