GS Paper I 2016 · Q10
12½ marks · 200 words Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularismWhy are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes’? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment.
Approach · directive: “why / indicate”
What it asks · Explain the constitutional meaning of ‘Scheduled’ (a listing under Article 342), then list the main protections, representation and administrative safeguards for tribes.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Why 'Scheduled': the constitutional meaning, listing by Presidential notification under Article 342, and the tests applied
- Indicate the major constitutional provisions for their upliftment: special care, reservation, representation, administration, protection and institutions
Open with · ‘Scheduled Tribes’ is a constitutional category: a community is a Scheduled Tribe only if it has been listed under Article 342, not merely because it is tribal.
Cover
- Why ‘Scheduled’: the President notifies tribes State by State under Article 342, after consulting the Governor; only Parliament can add or remove entries.
- Article 366(25) defines Scheduled Tribes as those deemed so under Article 342; tests used include primitive traits, distinct culture, isolation, shyness of contact and backwardness.
- Special care and reservation: Article 46 directs the State to promote their interests; Articles 15(4), 16(4) and 335 support reservation in education and services.
- Representation: seats reserved in the Lok Sabha (Article 330), State Assemblies (Article 332) and Panchayats (Article 243D).
- Administration: the Fifth Schedule governs Scheduled Areas in most States; the Sixth Schedule gives autonomous councils in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Institutions and funds: the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A), Article 275(1) grants, and laws like PESA 1996 and the Forest Rights Act 2006.
Close with · The Scheduled Tribe listing links identity to a bundle of protections; effective delivery now depends on implementing the Fifth and Sixth Schedule safeguards and on land and forest rights.
Add value (verified)
- Article 366(25) ties the label to Article 342: a community is a Scheduled Tribe only if it is deemed so under that article. The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Article 366(25) — Legislative Department ↗““Scheduled Tribes” means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 314 words (UPSC limit 200) · Minimalist IAS
'Scheduled' is a legal label, not an anthropological one: a community is a Scheduled Tribe only when it is placed on the list, or schedule, notified under Article 342.
Why 'Scheduled Tribes'
- Article 342: the President, after consulting the Governor, notifies the tribes of a State as Scheduled Tribes (first by the 1950 Order); only Parliament, by law, can alter that list.
- Article 366(25) defines Scheduled Tribes as those deemed so under Article 342; the label replaced the 'backward tribes' of the Government of India Act 1935.
- Tests: the Lokur Committee (1965) criteria of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact and backwardness guide inclusion, so a tribe may be scheduled in one State and not in another.
Constitutional provisions for upliftment
- Special care: Article 46 directs the State to promote their educational and economic interests and protect them from social injustice and exploitation.
- Reservation: Articles 15(4) and 16(4) permit special provisions and reserved posts, and Article 335 requires their claims to be considered in appointments.
- Representation: seats are reserved in the Lok Sabha (Article 330), State Assemblies (Article 332) and Panchayats (Article 243D); Article 164(1) mandates a tribal welfare minister in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
- Administration: under Article 244, the Fifth Schedule governs Scheduled Areas through Tribes Advisory Councils and the Governor's power to restrict land transfer; the Sixth Schedule creates Autonomous District Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Protection: Article 19(5) allows limits on outsiders' movement and settlement in tribal areas in the tribes' interest.
- Institutions and funds: the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A), grants under Article 275(1) and a commission under Article 339; PESA 1996 and the Forest Rights Act 2006 extend these safeguards by statute.
Scheduling turns identity into a bundle of enforceable safeguards; their promise depends on the Fifth and Sixth Schedules working in practice and on secure land and forest rights.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.