BharatNotes ⚖️ Social Justice
Sixth Schedule
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Sixth Schedule
Constitutional provision (Article 244(2)) for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram through Autonomous District Councils with legislative, executive, and judicial powers.
⚠️ UPSC confused pair — don't mix up with Fifth Schedule
Both protect tribal areas, by different machinery. The Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)) covers Scheduled Areas in 10 mainly central/peninsular states — protective and advisory, working through the Governor and a Tribes Advisory Council. The Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)) covers tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram — self-governing, through elected Autonomous District Councils that legislate, tax and run courts.
Context & Background
Accepted from the Bordoloi Committee (1947) report to protect northeastern tribal identities within the Indian Union.
UPSC Exam Relevance
Autonomous District Councils can make laws on land, forest, water, marriage, social customs; Governor can dissolve a Council; contrast with Fifth Schedule which has no such autonomous councils.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2015Society & Social Issues
- Prelims 2012Constitutional Schedules
Each entry is a real UPSC previous-year question whose text mentions “Sixth Schedule”. Practice the full question sets in the Social Justice PYQ bank.
