Nand Kumar Sai is new chairman of National Commission for STs

Senior tribal leader from Chhattisgarh and ex-parliamentarian Nand Kumar Sai on Tuesday assumed charge as chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). The 71-year-old Sai succeeds Rameshwar Oraon, whose tenure had ended on October 31 last year.

Taking charge, Sai said he would work to protect the rights of the tribal people living in far-flung areas of the country. "A large number of tribals in our country are still not aware of the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution. We will see to it that NCST is converted into an important tool for the overall social economic development of STs in the country," he said.