1. Within a State, the notification of an area as Scheduled Area takes place though an Order of the President. 

2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District, and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Block. 

3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry on the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States. 

How many of the above statements are correct? 

(a) Only one 

(b) Only two 

(c) All three 

(d) None

Answer- b

Explanation:

The provision of the Fifth Schedule concerns the administration and control of the scheduled areas and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in any state except the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura which are administered by the provisions of the Sixth Schedule. 

Article 339(2): Control of the Union over the administration of Scheduled Areas and the welfare of Scheduled Tribes- The executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of directions to a State as to the drawing up and execution of schemes specified in the direction to be essential for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes in the State. 

 Scheduled areas as per the fifth schedule:

• The term “Scheduled Areas” are those that are scheduled as such by a Presidential Order under Paragraph 6 (1) of the Fifth Schedule, which states that the expression ‘Scheduled Areas’ means such areas as the President may by order declare to be Scheduled Area.
• The specification of “Scheduled Areas” in a state is notified by order of the President after consultation with the Governor of that State. 
• With regard to Scheduled Areas, however, it is only the President of India, by way of a Presidential Order duly notified, who can make any alteration which will include or exclude any part of the territory of India from the Fifth Schedule.

Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Criteria for declaring an area as a Scheduled Area  

The First Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission, also known as the Dhebar Commission (1960-61) laid down the following criteria for declaring any area as a ‘Scheduled Area’ under the Fifth Schedule:

• The preponderance of the tribal population, which should not be less than 50 per cent;
• Compactness and reasonable size of the area;
• Underdeveloped nature of the area; 
• and marked disparity in the economic standard of the people compared to the neighbouring areas.

More recently, a viable administrative entity such as a district, block or taluk (cluster of villages), has also been identified as an important additional criterion (Annual Report 2013-14, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India).

Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The Fifth Schedule to the Constitution also lays down that the Governor of each State having Scheduled Areas shall annually, or whenever so required by the President, make a report to the president regarding the administration of the Scheduled Areas in that State.

Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Read: Previous Year UPSC Polity Questions (PYQs) With Explanation 2023