If a particular area is brought under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which one of the following statements best reflects the consequence of it?                                                                                                                                                                             

(a) This would prevent the transfer of land of tribal people to non-tribal people.

(b) This would create a local self-governing body in that area.

(c) This would convert that area into a Union Territory.

(d) The State having such areas would be declared a Special Category State.

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]  

A: Option a

Schedule 5 of the Indian Constitution

• The administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes are addressed in the Fifth Schedule.
• Article 244(1)is directly related to Schedule 5. Ten states currently have Fifth Schedule Areas: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
• The criteria for declaring an area as Scheduled Area are as follows:
  • a preponderance of tribal population;
  • compactness and reasonable size of the area;
  • under-developed nature of the area; and
  • the marked disparity in the economic standard of the people.
• Governor can make regulations for the peace and good government of a scheduled area after consulting the tribes’ advisory council.
• Such regulations may prohibit or restrict the transfer of land by tribal to non-tribal members or among members of the scheduled tribes, and regulate the allotment of land to members of the scheduled tribes. Hence, Option 1 is correct.