Q. Consider the following statements with respect to the administration of Sixth Schedule areas:
1. The tribal areas under Sixth Schedule fall outside the executive authority of the respective states.
2. The President has the power to organise or reorganise the autonomous districts under Sixth Schedule.
3. In autonomous districts, it is mandatory to establish district councils with majority of nominated members.
4. The district councils are empowered to lay specific taxes and collect land revenue.
How many statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option a is the correct answer
The Constitution, under Sixth Schedule, contains special provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the four north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Statement 1 is incorrect. The tribal areas in the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have been constituted as autonomous districts. But they do not fall outside the executive authority of the state concerned. However, the acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Governor (and not the President) is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Thus, he can increase or decrease their areas or change their names or define their boundaries and so on.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Each autonomous district has a district council consisting of 30 members, of whom four are nominated by the governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise. The elected members hold office for a term of five years (unless the council is dissolved earlier) and nominated members hold office during the pleasure of the governor.
Statement 4 is correct. The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction. The district and regional councils are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to impose certain specified taxes.
