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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2024/Paper II/Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2024 10 Marks Model Answer Available

Status of Sixth Schedule Areas — 2024 Paper II

Question · 2024 · Paper II · 10 Marks

Status of Sixth Schedule Areas

Model Answer

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Introduction The Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)) of the Indian Constitution provides a framework for decentralized self-governance in the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram (AMTM). Designed on the recommendations of the Gopinath Bordoloi Committee, it is a masterpiece of asymmetrical federalism and political anthropology. It aims to protect tribal communities from outright assimilation by the mainland, allowing them to modernize at their own pace based on their own genius.

Institutional Framework and Anthropological Significance The Schedule creates Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Regional Councils, which act as "mini-states" with legislative, executive, and judicial powers:

  • Legal Pluralism: ADCs have the power to constitute village courts to administer justice based on customary tribal laws (e.g., marriage, inheritance, land disputes), recognizing cultural relativism within the Indian penal framework.
  • Resource Sovereignty: ADCs regulate shifting cultivation (Jhum), unreserved forests, and land transfers, protecting the tribal bio-cultural landscape from Diku (outsider) encroachment.

Contemporary Status and Emerging Challenges While the Sixth Schedule successfully curbed ethno-nationalist secessionism in the Northeast, its current status reflects several functional and socio-political bottlenecks:

  • Elite Capture and Sub-Tribal Friction: Power within ADCs is often monopolized by dominant tribes, leaving micro-minorities marginalized. Furthermore, customary laws often exclude women from political representation and inheritance (e.g., resistance to women in the Chakma and Khasi ADCs).
  • Fiscal Starvation: ADCs remain heavily dependent on State governments for funds. They lack direct devolution from the Central Finance Commission, reducing them to mere appendages of state politics.
  • Jurisdictional Conflict: The overlapping powers of the State Legislature, the Governor, and the ADCs often lead to administrative paralysis.
  • Contemporary Demands (2026 Context): The perceived success of the Sixth Schedule as a protective shield has led to intense contemporary demands for its extension to other ecologically and culturally fragile regions, most notably by the tribal population of Ladakh, to protect their Jal, Jungle, and Zameen from external commercial exploitation.

Conclusion The Sixth Schedule remains India’s most robust institutional buffer for tribal autonomy. However, to maintain its vitality, it requires structural reforms—such as the passing of the pending 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill—to ensure direct financial devolution, mandate women's representation, and democratize traditional institutions against modern elite capture.

2026 Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India. 2026 Article 371A of the Indian Constitution. 2026 Discuss the impact of democratic institutions on the tribal populations of India. 2026 Write an account on Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).

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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2024 — Paper II

28 questions

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10 Marks150 words
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5(a) B.K. Roy Burman's concept of 'Buffer Zone'

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Administration and Policy > Isolation-Assimilation-Integration > Roy Burman; buffer zone
2024Paper IITribal Development, Policy & SafeguardsModel answer available

1(a) Digitisation of rural economy

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Indian Village > Economy and Change > Digitisation of the rural economy
2024Paper IIVillage India, Urbanisation & Social ChangeModel answer available

1(b) Origin of State Societies

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Political Organization > State Formation > Origin of state societies
2024Paper IIEconomic & Political AnthropologyModel answer available

5(d) Status of Sixth Schedule Areas

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Constitutional Safeguards > Fifth and Sixth Schedules > Sixth Schedule areas
2024Paper IITribal Development, Policy & SafeguardsModel answer available

1(c) Syro-Malabar Christians

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Impact of Religions on Indian Society > Christianity > Syro-Malabar Christians
2024Paper IIIndian Society, Caste & CivilizationModel answer available