The 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the provisions related to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Originally, the Constitution of India included only 8 schedules, but currently there are 12 schedules in the Indian Constitution after the various amendments.
The main objective of these schedules is to sort out any uncertainty in any articles of the Indian Constitution.
Schedule of the Indian Constitution
According to the National Portal of India, the Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949, and came into force on 26th January, 1950. Originally, there were 8 Schedules in the Indian Constitution, but later on, with various amendments, currently, there are 12 Schedules in the Indian Constitution.
Objective of the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The objectives of the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution are the following:
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To provide the administration for the tribal areas in the four northeastern states, which are Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
The other objective is to protect the tribal land and resources and restrict the exportations of excess raw material to non-tribal areas.
This third objective is to protect the tribal communities from inequality. They should not be exploited or marginalised by the non-tribal population, and their cultural and social identities should be protected and preserved.
Constitutional Provision of the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the management & administration of tribal areas in the northeastern states. The constitutional provisions under the 6th Schedule are:
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Article 244(2):
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This provision of the 6th Schedule shall apply to the administration and control of the Tribal Areas in the four states of the northeastern region in India, which are Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
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Autonomous districts and autonomous regions:
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The tribal areas in these four states, which are Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, are administered under the autonomous districts.
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In case other scheduled tribes came into existence in the autonomous district, then the governor of the state can divide the district inhabited by them into autonomous regions.
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Constitution of District Council and Regional Council:
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There shall be a district council for each autonomous district, and the members for each council must not exceed 30 members.
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For the autonomous council, there must be a separate Regional Council.
State-wise details of States Under 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The 6th Schedule provides for the administration of the tribal areas in ten states in India, which are:
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State
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Autonomous Districts (Sixth Schedule)
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Assam
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• North Cachar Hills District
• The Karbi Anglong District
• The Bodoland Territorial Areas District
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Meghalaya
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• Khasi Hills District
• Jaintia Hills District
• The Garo Hills District
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Tripura
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• Tripura Tribal Areas District
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Mizoram
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• The Chakma District
• The Mara District
• The Lai District
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So, the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution is strengthening autonomy, removing disparity among councils, and increasing autonomy of the provisions related to the administration of tribal areas in the northeastern states of India, which are Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.