With a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of SCs & STs and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution. Consequent upon the Constitution (Eighty-Ninth Amendment) Act , 2003 (Annexure II of the handbook) coming into force on 19-2-2004 vide Notification of that date (Annexure III of the handbook) the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes has been replaced by (1) National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and (2) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.