Union Territories and Special Areas

Fifth and Sixth Schedules for tribal areas

  1. The Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than the northeastern states.
  2. The Sixth Schedule pertains to the administration of tribal areas in the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
  3. Both Schedules aim to provide special governance and protect the rights of tribal communities.
  4. The Fifth Schedule empowers the President to declare areas as

Special status of Jammu & Kashmir and its recent changes

  1. Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) was granted special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
  2. Article 370 allowed J&K to have its own Constitution and autonomy over internal matters except for defense, foreign affairs, communications, and ancillary matters.
  3. Article 35A, incorporated via a Presidential Order in 1954, empowered the J&K legislature to define "permanent residents" and grant them special rights and privileges.
  4. The special status meant that Indian laws were not direct

Administration of Union Territories

  1. Union Territories (UTs) are directly administered by the Central Government, unlike states which have their own governments.
  2. There are 8 Union Territories in India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
  3. The administration of UTs is governed by Articles 239 to 241 of the Constitution of India.
  4. Article 239: Provides for the administration of UTs by the President thro
Union Territories and Special Areas