SC directs Centre to fill vacant position in National Commission for Scheduled Caste

New Delhi [India], April 13 : The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Central government to ensure that the vacant position of National Commission for Scheduled Caste is filled expeditiously.

The direction by a bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, came on a plea seeking to fill the vacancies for National Commission for Scheduled Caste.

The Centre apprised the court that Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, and two members are in place but one vacancy exists.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Ambedkar Association For Development (AAD) in 2017 whereby the association sought direction from the Respondent to appoint members of the National Commission for Schedule Castes.

Advocate Manoj Gorkela appeared for the petitioner in the matter.

NCSC is a statutory authority and consists of a chairperson, a vice chairperson and three other members. Its headquarter is situated in New Delhi and has 12 state branches.

"The National Commission for Schedule Caste is a statutory authority and is formed to safeguard the interest of schedule castes and hence commission has played a tremendous role in adjudicating the matter related to schedule castes," the plea said.

The petitioner has apprised the court that the then Chairperson of the Commission Dr P L Punia has demitted on October 21, 2016, the Vice Chairperson Mr Raj Kumar Verka got demitted on November 4, 2016, and one member out of three members of the Commission Raju Parmar has got demitted on November 7, 2016.

The association has sought to extend the tenure of then-existing members or to fill the vacant position of chairperson, vice chairperson and member of the National Commission for Schedule Caste within the minimum stipulated time frame.