The Sixth Schedule and Autonomous Councils in Assam
The Sixth Schedule is one of the most distinctive features of the Indian Constitution. It creates a system of Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils to administer certain tribal areas, giving them a measure of self-government that ordinary states and panchayats do not enjoy. In Assam, the Sixth Schedule applies to the Bodoland Territorial Region, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and the Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council. Elections to these councils, their powers and the accords that reshaped them are all important for the exams.
What is the Sixth Schedule?
The Sixth Schedule is contained in the Constitution under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1). Article 244 deals with the administration of Scheduled Areas and tribal areas: the Fifth Schedule applies to Scheduled Areas in the rest of India, while the Sixth Schedule applies to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Sixth Schedule provides for the creation of Autonomous District Councils for the larger tribal areas and Regional Councils for smaller areas within a district. These bodies have legislative, executive, judicial and financial powers over a range of subjects such as land, forests, agriculture, primary education, health, markets and inheritance of property.
Historical Background
When the Constitution was being framed, the tribal people of the north-eastern region feared that the new democratic machinery would be dominated by the plains communities and would erode their land, customs and identity. To address this, the Constituent Assembly appointed the Bardoloi Sub-Committee in 1952, under the chairmanship of Gopinath Bardoloi. Its recommendations formed the basis of the Sixth Schedule. The scheme was designed to preserve tribal self-governance while keeping the hill areas within the state of Assam. This is why the hill districts of Assam were never merged with the plains under the ordinary panchayat system, and why the Autonomous District Councils became the primary units of local administration there.
Composition and Powers of Autonomous District Councils
An Autonomous District Council may consist of a maximum of 30 members, of whom 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise and a maximum of 4 are nominated by the Governor of the state. The term of the council is five years. The Governor has special responsibilities for the administration of the Sixth Schedule areas. The councils can make laws on subjects assigned to them, levy certain taxes and land revenue, constitute village councils and courts, and administer the social and customary law of the tribal communities. Their laws generally require the assent of the Governor, and in some cases the Governor can act in his discretion.
The Three Sixth Schedule Councils of Assam
- Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR): earlier the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC), created by the Bodo Accord of 1993; then the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), created by the Bodo Accord of 2003 under the Sixth Schedule; and finally the Bodoland Territorial Region, created by the Bodo Accord of 2020, which expanded the council's territory and powers. Its headquarters is Kokrajhar.
- Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC): the hill district was earlier called the Mikir Hills District, constituted in 1951. The council's headquarters is Diphu. The Karbi Accord of 2021 further strengthened the council and provided a development package.
- Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council (DHADC): the district was earlier the North Cachar Hills District, constituted in 1951, and was renamed Dima Hasao in 2010. Its headquarters is Haflong.
Autonomous Councils outside the Sixth Schedule
Assam has also created several autonomous councils for plains tribal communities under state laws. These are not Sixth Schedule councils and are created by the Assam Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Act, 1995 and on the lines of the Bodo Agreement. Examples include the Deori Autonomous Council, the Mising Autonomous Council, the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council, the Tiwa Autonomous Council, the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, the Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council, the Moran Autonomous Council, the Motok Autonomous Council, the Chutia Autonomous Council and the Koch-Rajbongshi Autonomous Council. These councils have more limited powers and function under the state government, unlike the Sixth Schedule councils that have constitutional protection.
Sixth Schedule versus Fifth Schedule
The Fifth Schedule applies to Scheduled Areas in states other than the north-eastern states and provides for a Tribes Advisory Council and special powers of the Governor, but it does not create autonomous district councils. The Sixth Schedule is far stronger: it creates elected councils with legislative and financial powers and protects tribal land and custom in a much more direct way. The PESA Act, 1996 extended panchayat provisions to Fifth Schedule areas but expressly does not apply to Sixth Schedule areas, where the autonomous councils continue to function.
Significance for Competitive Examinations
Questions on the Sixth Schedule are common in APSC, ADRE, Assam Police, Gauhati High Court and other state-level tests. Examiners ask the articles that contain the Schedule, the states to which it applies, the maximum strength of a council, the number of nominated members, the term of office, the year the Bardoloi Sub-Committee was formed, the three Sixth Schedule areas of Assam and the accords of 1993, 2003, 2020 and 2021. Given the political importance of Bodoland and the hill districts, this is a very high-yield topic.
How to Prepare This Topic
- Remember the articles: 244(2) and 275(1), and that the Sixth Schedule applies to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Learn the composition: maximum 30 members, 26 elected, 4 nominated, term of 5 years.
- Memorise the three Assam councils: BTR (Kokrajhar), KAAC (Diphu) and DHADC (Haflong).
- Note the accord years: 1993 (BAC), 2003 (BTC), 2020 (BTR) and 2021 (Karbi Accord).
- Understand the difference between Fifth Schedule, Sixth Schedule and state-level autonomous councils.
- Attempt the questions on this page and revise the FAQ answers.
Common Exam Traps
- The Sixth Schedule applies to four states, not all north-eastern states.
- Autonomous District Councils have a maximum of 30 members, of whom 4 are nominated by the Governor.
- The Bodoland Territorial Region is the renamed form of the Bodoland Territorial Council, which in turn replaced the Bodoland Autonomous Council.
- Councils such as the Mising or Rabha Hasong councils are state-law councils, not Sixth Schedule councils.
- The Fifth Schedule deals with Scheduled Areas in the rest of India and is different from the Sixth Schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sixth Schedule and which articles contain it?
The Sixth Schedule provides for the administration of certain tribal areas through Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils. It is contained in Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution and applies to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
How many Sixth Schedule areas are there in Assam and what are they?
Assam has three Sixth Schedule areas: the Bodoland Territorial Region with its headquarters at Kokrajhar, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council at Diphu, and the Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council at Haflong. Together these cover the hill districts and the Bodo region of the state.
What is the composition and term of an Autonomous District Council?
An Autonomous District Council can have a maximum of 30 members, of whom 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise and up to 4 are nominated by the Governor. The term of the council is five years, and the Governor has special responsibilities for the administration of Sixth Schedule areas.
How did the Bodoland Autonomous Council become the Bodoland Territorial Region?
The Bodoland Autonomous Council was created by the Bodo Accord of 1993. The Bodo Accord of 2003 replaced it with the Bodoland Territorial Council under the Sixth Schedule, and the Bodo Accord of 2020 renamed it the Bodoland Territorial Region and expanded its territory, powers and development package. Its headquarters is Kokrajhar.
Are all autonomous councils in Assam under the Sixth Schedule?
No. Only the Bodoland Territorial Region, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and the Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council are under the Sixth Schedule. Councils such as the Deori, Mising, Rabha Hasong, Tiwa, Sonowal Kachari, Thengal Kachari, Moran, Motok, Chutia and Koch-Rajbongshi councils are created under state laws and have more limited powers.