The functions and duties of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes have been laid down in Clause (5) of the Article 338A of the Constitution. Clause (5) states that it shall be the duty of the Commission:
to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the 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;
to inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled Tribes;
to participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State;
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 Tribes; and
to discharge such other functions in relation to the protection, welfare and development and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes as the President may, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, by rule specify.
The Commission has been assigned the following additional functions vide the Ministry of Tribal Affairs' Notification dated 23 August, 2005 in relation to the protection welfare and development and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes:-
Measures that need to be taken over conferring ownership rights in respect of minor forest produce to STs living in forest areas.
Measures to be taken to safeguard rights of the tribal communities over mineral resources, water resources etc. as laid down by law.
Measures to be taken for the development of tribal to plug loopholes and to work more viable livelihood strategies.
Measures to be taken to improve the efficacy of relief and rehabilitation measures for tribal groups displaced by development projects.
Measures to be taken to prevent alienation of tribal people from land and to effectively rehabilitate such people in whose case alienation has already been taken place.
Measures to be taken to elicit maximum cooperation and involvement of tribal communities for protecting forests and undertaking social afforestation.
Measures to be taken to ensure full implementation of the provisions of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Measures to be taken to reduce and ultimately eliminate the practice of shifting cultivation by tribal that lead to their continuous disempowerment and degradation of land and the environment.
