Context

The Union government has chosen to constitute the most-recent National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) by ensuring the presence of at least one member from the Madiga community, one of the most populous Scheduled Caste communities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 

Who are the Madigas?

• The Madiga community is a Telugu caste, mainly living in the southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. However, Madigas also live in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha.
• The community has historically worked in handicraft, leatherwork, tannery, and agriculture.
• The Indian government categorises the community within the SC category.
• There are various sub-castes within Madigas.
• As per the 2011 census, the Madiga community in the undivided Andhra Pradesh (before the creation of Telangana in 2014) constituted more than 48 per cent of the SC population.