Consider the following statements:
With reference to the Constitution of India, if an area in a State is declared as Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule
- I.the State Government loses its executive power in such areas and a local body assumes total administration
- II.the Union Government can take over the total administration of such areas under certain circumstances on the recommendations of the Governor
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Neither I nor II
Neither statement is correct. Scheduled Areas remain under the State's own administration: the Governor reports on them to the President, and the Union's executive power extends only to giving directions to the State about their administration.
- ✗ I Paragraph 3 of the Fifth Schedule has the Governor report on the administration of the Scheduled Areas 'in that State', and the Union then directs the State. The State keeps its executive power; the Schedule provides a Tribes Advisory Council, not a local body that takes over.
- ✗ II The Union's power under paragraph 3 is to give directions to the State on administering these areas. It is not a power to take over the administration, and the Governor's recommendation does not trigger any takeover.
Remember · Fifth Schedule: State administers Scheduled Areas, Governor reports annually to the President, Union can only direct the State (Para 3). District councils belong to the Sixth Schedule.
Sources
- Constitution of India (Government of India, Legislative Department), Fifth Schedule, paragraph 3: Report by the Governor to the President regarding the administration of Scheduled Areas ↗ “regarding the administration of the Scheduled Areas in that State and the executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of directions to the State as to the administration of the said areas”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·