With reference to the Constitution of India, if an area in a State in 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?

1. A. I only
2. B. II only
3. C. Both I and II
4. D. Neither I nor II

Answer: D

Explanation

Statement I is incorrect. The Fifth Schedule does not state that the State Government loses its executive power in Scheduled Areas. Instead, Paragraph 2 explicitly states that the executive power of a State extends to the Scheduled Areas within it. While local bodies (like Gram Sabhas under PESA) are empowered, they do not assume ‘total administration’ to the exclusion of the State Government. Statement II is incorrect. The Fifth Schedule (Paragraph 3) allows the Union Government to give directions to a State regarding the administration of Scheduled Areas. However, it does not provide for the Union Government to ‘take over the total administration’ of such areas based on the Governor’s recommendations. A complete takeover would typically involve invoking Article 356 (President’s Rule), which is a separate constitutional provision. Therefore, neither statement is correct. The Fifth and Sixth Schedules, dealing with tribal administration, are crucial for UPSC Polity & Governance, especially in the context of federalism and tribal rights.