Question map
The provisions in Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule in the Constitution of India are made in order to
Explanation
Article 244 in Part X of the Constitution envisages a special system of administration for 'scheduled areas' and 'tribal areas', with the Fifth Schedule dealing with scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in states except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, while the Sixth Schedule deals with the administration of tribal areas in these four northeastern states.[1] The Constitution contains special provisions under the Sixth Schedule for the administration of tribal areas in these four states because the tribes in these states have not assimilated much with the life and ways of other people.[2]
The primary purpose of both schedules is to protect and provide special administrative arrangements for Scheduled Tribes and their areas. Options B and D are incorrect as these schedules do not deal with state boundaries or border state interests. Option C is incorrect because while Panchayats may be mentioned in the context of scheduled areas, determining their powers is not the main purpose of these constitutional schedules – their core objective is tribal welfare and administration.
Sources- [1] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > Scheduled and Tribal Areas > p. 415
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > ADMINISTRATION OF TRIBAL AREAS > p. 416
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a 'Sitter'—a fundamental Polity question found in the index or first chapter of any standard book (Laxmikanth/NCERT). If you get this wrong, you are statistically out of the race. The strategy is simple: Memorise the 12 Schedules and their one-line 'Core Purpose' verbatim.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Are the provisions of the Fifth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India intended to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes?
- Statement 2: Do the Fifth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India provide for determining the boundaries between States?
- Statement 3: Do the Fifth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India determine the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Panchayats?
- Statement 4: Are the provisions of the Fifth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India made to protect the interests of all the border States?
- Explicitly states Fifth Schedule deals with administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes (general states) and Sixth Schedule deals with tribal areas (four NE states).
- Shows constitutional allocation of special administrative provisions for areas inhabited by tribes, implying protective intent.
- Directly says special provisions are laid down in the Fifth and Sixth Schedules for administration of areas inhabited by Scheduled tribes.
- Links these schedules specifically to safeguarding tribal administration/welfare (administration of areas inhabited by Scheduled tribes).
- States the Sixth Schedule contains special provisions for administration of tribal areas in the four north-eastern states.
- Explains rationale (tribes in these areas not assimilated) supporting the need for special protective administrative arrangements.
States that Fifth and Sixth Schedules deal with administration/control of scheduled/tribal areas (Article 244) — indicates their subject-matter is internal administration of areas, not inter-state borders.
A student could combine this with the basic fact that 'state boundaries' are normally a separate constitutional/topic (e.g., reorganisation/delimitation provisions) to suspect these Schedules are not about inter‑state boundary determination.
Sixth Schedule explicitly provides that tribal areas are to be administered as 'autonomous districts'—a form of local/internal administrative arrangement within specific states.
Knowing autonomous districts are internal subdivisions, a student could infer Sixth Schedule focuses on internal governance rather than defining boundaries between different states.
Fifth Schedule empowers the Union to give directions to States regarding administration of Scheduled Areas—framed as Union→State administrative control over areas within States.
A student could contrast 'directions to states about administration' with constitutional mechanisms for altering state boundaries (which involve other articles/amendments) to judge that Fifth Schedule is administrative, not boundary‑setting.
Text explains Sixth Schedule provides 'special provisions for the administration of tribal areas' in specified northeastern states, motivated by anthropological/administrative reasons.
A student could use this to argue the Schedule's intent is governance of distinct communities/areas inside states, not inter‑state delimitation, by comparing with provisions that explicitly address boundary reorganisation.
Lists the states that have Fifth Schedule areas and notes exclusions (e.g., the four NE states handled by Sixth Schedule), showing the Schedules classify internal areas across states rather than redefining state limits.
A student could map these listed internal 'Fifth Schedule areas' onto a state map to see they lie within state boundaries, supporting the idea these Schedules operate inside states rather than between them.
- Directly refers to designing Panchayat administrative arrangements in Scheduled Areas by following the pattern of the Sixth Schedule.
- States a legislative direction to 'endeavour to follow the pattern of the Sixth Schedule' when creating district-level Panchayat arrangements, linking the Sixth Schedule to Panchayat structure in Scheduled Areas.
- Explains that the State Legislature, by law, endows Panchayats with 'powers and authority' to function as institutions of self-government.
- Implies that Part IX (not the Fifth/Sixth Schedules) generally determines Panchayat powers, showing a distinction between the schedules and the Panchayat provisions.
- States that the Sixth Schedule 'shall apply to the administration of the tribal areas' in specified States, indicating the Schedule governs administration in those areas.
- Suggests the Sixth Schedule can affect local administration (and thus Panchayat arrangements) in tribal/Scheduled Areas by applying a different administrative framework.
Article 243G is the constitutional provision that defines how powers, authority and responsibilities may be conferred on Panchayats (refers to the Eleventh Schedule).
A student could compare Article 243G/Eleventh Schedule text with the special provisions in the Fifth and Sixth Schedules to see whether those Schedules modify or exclude Article 243G's applicability.
States that Fifth Schedule areas are not automatically covered by Part IX (Panchayats) and that Parliament may extend Panchayat provisions to those areas (PESA Act was enacted under this power).
One could check which Panchayat provisions were extended under PESA and whether those extensions alter powers/authority compared with normal Part IX Panchayats in non‑Scheduled areas.
The Fifth Schedule provides a separate administrative regime for Scheduled Areas and empowers the Union to give directions to States regarding administration of those areas.
A student could infer that such a separate regime may affect local government (including Panchayats) and then examine Fifth Schedule clauses for specific limits or delegations impacting Panchayats.
The Sixth Schedule establishes a distinct administrative framework for tribal areas in four northeastern states (i.e., a different system from the rest of the country).
Using knowledge of the Sixth Schedule's special institutions (e.g., Autonomous District Councils), one can investigate whether those bodies substitute for or modify Panchayat powers in those areas.
Lists the typical functions and devolution aims for Panchayats (Gram Sabha powers, devolution of 29 functions from the Eleventh Schedule).
Compare this list of standard Panchayat functions with what the Fifth and Sixth Schedules prescribe or exempt to judge whether those Schedules determine Panchayat powers.
- Explicitly states the Fifth Schedule is meant to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes.
- Specifies the Fifth Schedule applies only to states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, so it does not cover all (border) states.
- States the Sixth Schedule provides for administration of tribal areas specifically in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Notes the purpose is to protect interests of tribal populations via autonomous governance, not broadly 'all border States.'
- Quotes Article 244(1) confirming the Fifth Schedule applies to states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Contrasts Article 244(2), indicating Sixth Schedule applies to tribal areas in those northeastern states—showing the schedules target tribal areas, not 'all border States'.
States which each schedule covers are defined: Fifth Schedule deals with scheduled areas/tribes in any state except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram; Sixth Schedule deals with tribal areas in those four north‑eastern states.
A student could check a map/list of Indian border states to see whether those four NE states plus the Fifth Schedule states together include all border states.
List of current Fifth Schedule states is given (ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan).
Compare this list with the set of border states (international/frontier borders) to assess coverage.
Explains the rationale for applying the Sixth Schedule only to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram — because tribes there retained distinct ways of life unlike many other tribal areas.
Use this rationale to infer that schedules respond to tribal/administrative conditions rather than simply 'border' location; check which border states meet that criterion.
Notes that scheduled areas are designated presumably because of the backwardness of the people of these areas, indicating a socio‑economic/administrative rationale for Fifth Schedule.
A student can weigh whether 'protecting border states' matches this socio‑economic rationale, and then check which border states have such scheduled areas.
Shows that subjects under the Sixth Schedule can be entrusted to Autonomous District Councils in North East India, illustrating the internal administrative objective of the Sixth Schedule.
This suggests Sixth Schedule aims at local autonomy for tribal areas; one could test whether this purpose aligns with a general 'border state protection' objective by checking other border states' administrative arrangements.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hit from Laxmikanth (Chapter: Scheduled and Tribal Areas) or D.D. Basu.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Schedules of the Constitution' list—specifically the distinction between general tribal administration (5th) and the North-East specific autonomy (6th).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorise the 'Schedule Keywords': 1st (Territory), 2nd (Emoluments), 3rd (Oaths), 4th (RS Seats), 5th (Scheduled Areas - 10 States), 6th (Tribal Areas - AMTM), 7th (Lists), 8th (Languages), 9th (Validation), 10th (Defection), 11th (Panchayats), 12th (Municipalities). Know the 10 Fifth Schedule states: AP, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, HP, Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Use the 'Index-Match' method. When you see a constitutional feature in options (e.g., 'Boundaries', 'Panchayats'), mentally map it to its specific Schedule (Art 3, Schedule 11). If the question asks about Schedule 5/6, and an option talks about Schedule 11's subject, eliminate it immediately.
The references repeatedly distinguish which Schedule applies to which areas/states (Fifth: scheduled areas across most states; Sixth: tribal areas in four NE states).
High-yield constitutional fact: UPSC frequently asks differences in application of constitutional provisions. Understanding territorial scope helps answer questions on administration, PESA applicability, and state-specific tribal governance. Study by mapping which states/areas fall under each schedule and memorise the distinction.
- Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > Scheduled and Tribal Areas > p. 415
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 20: ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > p. 330
References state that both Schedules provide 'special provisions' for administration of areas inhabited by Scheduled Tribes, indicating a protective/administrative intent.
Crucial for polity questions on safeguards for SC/ST and special provisions under Part X/Article 244. Helps in answering balanced questions on intent vs function of constitutional provisions. Prepare by linking Schedule provisions to broader safeguards (Articles and welfare measures) and practicing factual explanation questions.
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 32: MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES > CHAP. 321 MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES 459 > p. 459
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 32: MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES > CHAP. 32] MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES 457 > p. 457
Evidence notes Sixth Schedule tribal areas are administered as autonomous districts and Part IX Panchayat provisions are not applicable to Fifth Schedule areas (PESA relevance).
Important for governance and federalism topics—distinguishes forms of local self-government and exceptions. UPSC may ask about autonomy, PESA Act, and decentralisation in tribal areas. Learn by comparing governance mechanisms (autonomous councils vs PESA-enabled panchayats) and revising related acts and constitutional clauses.
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 20: ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > p. 330
- Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 39: Panchayati Raj > PESA ACT OF 1996 (EXTENSION ACT) > p. 393
Multiple references state the Fifth Schedule deals with administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
High-yield for UPSC polity: knowing which constitutional provision governs Scheduled Areas helps answer questions on special provisions, central directions, and applicability of laws (e.g., PESA). It connects to topics on Centre–State relations and tribal governance; learn by mapping Schedule → scope → affected states and related statutes.
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 20: ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > p. 329
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > Scheduled and Tribal Areas > p. 415
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 39: Panchayati Raj > PESA ACT OF 1996 (EXTENSION ACT) > p. 393
References identify the Sixth Schedule as providing special administrative provisions for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, including autonomous districts.
Frequently tested concept: explains special constitutional arrangements for NE tribal areas and autonomy (autonomous districts/regions). It links to Article 244, state reorganisation/amendments and regional autonomy issues; revise by comparing Fifth vs Sixth Schedule scope and institutional features.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > Scheduled and Tribal Areas > p. 415
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 20: ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > ADMINISTRATION OF SCHEDULED AND TRIBAL AREAS > p. 330
- Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > ADMINISTRATION OF TRIBAL AREAS > p. 416
Evidence explicitly states Article 244 envisages a special system of administration for 'scheduled areas' and 'tribal areas', which is implemented via the Fifth and Sixth Schedules.
Core constitutional provision to master for questions on special provisions, federalism and Centre's powers. It ties both Schedules together and is often the basis for amendments and legislation (e.g., applicability changes); study Article text, linked Schedules, and major amendments.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 42: Scheduled and Tribal Areas > Scheduled and Tribal Areas > p. 415
- Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 11: Amendment of the Constitution > By Simple Ma;ority of Parliament > p. 124
Reference [2] directly links Article 243G and the Eleventh Schedule to the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats.
High-yield: questions on Panchayati Raj frequently ask which constitutional provisions define Panchayat powers (Article 243G and the Eleventh Schedule). Mastering this clarifies the primary constitutional source of Panchayat functions and helps answer comparative questions about other Schedules or special provisions. Preparation: memorise Article 243G outline and the scope of the Eleventh Schedule; practise applying them to examples (e.g., rural development, local planning).
- Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS > Transfer of Subjects > p. 185
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 39: Panchayati Raj > Significance of the Act > p. 388
The Governor's legislative power in the Fifth Schedule (Para 5) is a potential future trap. The Governor can direct that a specific Act of Parliament or State Legislature does *not* apply to a Scheduled Area or applies with modifications. This is a 'legislative' power of the Governor, distinct from their usual executive role.
Use the 'Extreme Generalisation' check on Option [D]. 'All the border states' includes Punjab and West Bengal, which do not have Scheduled Areas. Use 'Constitutional Mapping' for Options [B] and [C]: Boundaries = Article 3; Panchayats = Schedule 11. Since the question asks about Schedule 5 & 6, [B] and [C] are technically mismatched categories.
Mains GS-3 (Internal Security) & GS-2 (Social Justice): The Fifth Schedule is the constitutional answer to 'Left Wing Extremism' (Naxalism) by ensuring tribal land rights. The Sixth Schedule (ADCs) is the answer to 'North-East Insurgency' by granting autonomy. Failure of these schedules leads to demands for separate states (e.g., Bodoland, Tipraland).