Why in the news?
- The people of Ladakh are protesting for Ladakh to be recognized as a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule.
About Sixth Schedule
- The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution, is provided for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
- Provisions of the Sixth schedule
- It empowers the Governor to create Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils (ARCs) in these four states.
- ADCs consist of not more than thirty members, out of which four are nominated by the Governor while the rest are elected. (Bodoland Territorial Council is an exception; it can have up to forty-six members)
- ARCs: If there are different Scheduled Tribes in an autonomous district, the Governor may divide the area or areas inhabited by them into autonomous regions.
| Feature | Fifth Schedule | Sixth Schedule |
| Applicability | Applies to certain tribal areas in any states of India. (Currently in 10 states) | Applies to the tribal areas in the four northeastern states of India. |
| Administration | Tribes Advisory Councils (TAC) | District Councils or Regional Councils |
| Administrative power | TAC being the creation of the Legislative Assembly of the States has limited powers which are mostly executive. | Extensive powers, including executive, legislative and judicial powers, all derived from the Constitution. |
| Emphasizes | More on protection of tribal rights | More on self-governance. |
| PESA Act 1996 | Applicable | Not applicable |