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Article 244 in Part X of the Constitution provides a special system of administration for areas designated as "Scheduled Areas" and "Tribal Areas." The rationale is that these areas are inhabited by communities that are socially and economically backward and require special protection from the normal administrative machinery of the state. The **Fifth Schedule** applies to scheduled areas in all states except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. As of 2019, ten states have scheduled areas: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. The **Sixth Schedule** applies to tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. These tribes are distinguished by their deeper rootedness in their own culture, customs and civilization — they have not assimilated as much with the surrounding population as tribes in other parts of India. The tribes in these four states have "not assimilated much the life and ways of the other people in these states" and "still have their roots in their own culture, customs and civilization," which is why they receive special constitutional treatment with significant autonomy for self-government. **Fifth Schedule — Key Features:** - The President can declare, modify, or rescind scheduled areas (in consultation with the Governor). - The Governor has special responsibility for scheduled areas and must submit annual reports to the President. - Each state with scheduled areas must establish a **Tribes Advisory Council** of 20 members, three-fourths of whom must be representatives of scheduled tribes in the state legislature. - The Governor can direct that Parliament or state legislation does not apply to a scheduled area, or applies with modifications. He can make regulations for peace and good governance after consulting the Tribes Advisory Council. All such regulations require the assent of the President. - The Constitution requires the President to appoint a commission to review scheduled area administration at least once every ten years. The first was the Dhebar Commission (1960, reported 1961); the second was the Dilip Singh Bhuria Commission (2002, reported 2004). **Sixth Schedule — Key Features:** - Tribal areas in these four states are constituted as **autonomous districts**, though they remain within the executive authority of the respective state. - The Governor can organize, re-organize, and redefine autonomous districts and divide them into autonomous regions if multiple tribes inhabit a single district. - Each autonomous district has a **District Council** of 30 members: 4 nominated by the Governor, 26 elected for five-year terms. - District and regional councils can make laws on land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs — all subject to the Governor's assent. - District councils can establish primary schools, dispensaries, markets, roads and regulate money-lending by non-tribals (subject to Governor's assent). - Acts of Parliament or state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts/regions, or apply with modifications. - The Governor can appoint a commission to inquire into autonomous district/region administration and may dissolve a council on its recommendation.