RAS question
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is a constitutional body established under which Article?
Correct answer: (D) Article 338.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is a constitutional body established under Article 338 of the Constitution of India.
Explanation
Article 338 is the constitutional basis for the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. The official NCSC page states that the Commission is established under Article 338 of the Constitution of India to safeguard the rights and interests of Scheduled Castes. This matches the exam explanation, which notes that Article 338 was given its present form for NCSC after the 89th Constitutional Amendment, 2003. The Commission is not merely an advisory office: it investigates and monitors safeguards provided for Scheduled Castes under the Constitution and other laws, inquires into complaints about deprivation of rights and safeguards, and reports on the working of these protections. That is why Article 338, not a general or related provision on backward classes or services, is the precise answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Article 340 is not the provision establishing the National Commission for Scheduled Castes; the cited NCSC source identifies Article 338 as the Commission's constitutional basis.
- (B) Article 342 is related to Scheduled Castes in the constitutional scheme, but the NCSC itself is established under Article 338, as the official Commission page states.
- (C) Article 335 concerns claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in services, while the constitutional body that monitors safeguards for Scheduled Castes is under Article 338.
Concept
This tests constitutional bodies and special safeguards for Scheduled Castes, a recurring RAS theme because questions often distinguish between related Articles rather than broad policy areas. Article-number precision matters here because several provisions concern Scheduled Castes, but only Article 338 establishes the NCSC.