Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution

• Context (TH): There is an increased demand for including Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

About Sixth Schedule

• It contains special provisions for the tribal areas in the four north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. There are 10 such ‘tribal areas’ at present in these four States.

Autonomous Districts and Autonomous Regions

• The tribal areas have been constituted as autonomous districts. However, they do not fall outside the executive authority of the state concerned.
• The Governor is empowered to organise and reorganise the autonomous districts. He can also increase, decrease the boundaries or alter the name of any autonomous district. He can also divide the districts into several autonomous regions in case of different tribes in an autonomous district.
• The acts of the Parliament or state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.

District Councils and Regional Councils

• Article 244 provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state.
• District Councils: A district council consists of 30 members, of whom four are nominated by the Governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise.
• Each autonomous region has a separate regional council.

Powers of the Council

• The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction.
• They can make laws on some issues like land, forests, canal water, village administration, the inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, etc.
  • All such laws require the permission of the Governor.
• It can constitute village councils or courts for the trial of suits and cases between the tribes.
  • The Governor specifies the jurisdiction of the High Court over these suits and cases.
• The district council can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district.
• They are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and impose certain specified taxes.
• They can grant licences or leases for the extraction of minerals.

Read in-depth about Arguments in Favour & Against Ladakh’s Demand for the Sixth Schedule.