Sixth Schedule and Constitutional (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019?

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha that “presently, there is NO proposal to implement panchayat system in Sixth Schedule areas of Assam”.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution protects tribal populations and provides autonomy to the communities through creation of autonomous development councils that can frame laws on land, public health, agriculture and others.

Further, the Governor may divide an autonomous district into autonomous regions, each consisting of a Regional Council. The administration of autonomous districts and regions will be carried out by District and Regional Councils, respectively.

❓What are Autonomous Development Council?

Most of these autonomous district councils are located in North East India but two are in Ladakh, a region administered by India as a union territory. Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule.

❓What is Constitutional (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019?

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, on February 6, 2019.

The Bill amends this to provide for Village and Municipal Councils in addition to the District and Regional Councils. Village Councils will be established for villages or groups of villages in rural areas, and Municipal Councils will be established in urban areas of each district. Further, the District Councils may make laws on various issues, including:

(i) number of Village and Municipal Councils to be formed, and their composition,

(ii) delimitation of constituencies for election to the Village and Municipal Councils,

(iii) powers and functions of Village and Municipal Councils.

Further, the Bill states that the Governor may make rules for devolution of powers and responsibilities to the Village and Municipal Councils. Such rules may be framed in relation to: 

(i) preparation of plans for economic development,

(ii) implementation of land reforms,

(iii) urban and town planning, and

(iv) regulation of land-use, among other functions.

❓What are the Schedules of the Indian Constitution?

There are 12 Schedules in the Constitution of India. One of the first mentions of Schedules was made in the Government of India Act, 1935 where it included 10 Schedules. Later, when the Indian Constitution was adopted in 1949, it consisted of 8 Schedules. Today, with the amendments in the Indian Constitution, there are a total of 12 Schedules.