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Home / IAS Preparation / Autonomous District Councils (ADCs)

Autonomous District Councils (ADCs): Formation & Structure - UPSC Notes

Last Updated on Mar 16, 2025
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An autonomous district council is a form of self-governance set up in some parts of India. It aims to safeguard the cultural and social traditions of indigenous people. These councils are mainly found in the northeastern states of India. They work under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. They provide for local self-government with an aim to undertake development efforts but maintain the tribal identity.

The topic of autonomous district councils is relevant under General Studies Paper II (Polity, Governance, Constitution, and Social Justice) within the UPSC Civil Services Examination. This particular paper deals with all aspects of the Indian Constitution. It involves provisions related to the governance of scheduled and tribal areas.

GS Paper

General Studies Paper II

Topics for UPSC Prelims

Sixth Schedule

Topics for UPSC Mains

Self-governance and autonomy for tribal areas, Effectiveness of the Sixth Schedule in tribal administration.

What are Autonomous District Councils?

Autonomous District Councils are the statutory bodies constituted by the government for the administration of tribal areas in the country. Such administrative and government institutions are highly concentrated in North-Eastern states of India. The ADCs are constitutive councils of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Such councils are directly responsible for the self-administration of tribes and conservancy of cultural-traditional practices. As such, they derive a very enormous amount of legislative, judicial, and executive powers over the matters prescribed. This helps in decentralized governance and confers autonomy.

Background and Formation of ADCs

The ADCs were set up at the time when the Sixth Schedule was incorporated into the Indian Constitution. It was done with the vision of providing adequate care for the special socio-cultural and developmental requirements of the tribal population of the North-East. During the post-independence period, India was readjusting the states and administrative units. It was felt that a special mechanism for governance should be adopted in the North-Eastern tribal areas. This was mainly in view of their distinct ethnic and cultural identity. It was due to this requirement that the ADCs were created. They provided self-ruling agencies to the tribal groups to administer their specific demands without interference from the state governments.

Provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

The Sixth Schedule deals with special provisions for the administration of tribal areas. This mainly covers the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. These salient features are as follows:

  • It establishes ADCs for the self-governance of tribal areas.
  • It vests an ADC with legislative powers on certain subjects relating to land, forest, water, and law of inheritance.
  • Provides ADCs the powers to constitute customary courts for the purpose of adjudicating disputes.
  • Provides ADCs the powers to execute developmental schemes and administer such areas under their jurisdiction.
  • Enables the ADCs to raise specific taxes and manage their financial resources. This is done in such a manner that it will enable them to fund local governance and development projects of any significance.

Read the article on the Development of forest policy and tribals!

Structure of Autonomous District Councils

There is a definite structure to the autonomous district councils. The strata generally consist :

  • Council Composition: Every ADC has elected and nominated members. Generally, the members are of two categories:
    • elected, probably representing the population within the jurisdiction of the council; and
    • nominated, representing diverse interests who are appointed by the Governor of the state.
  • Executive Wing: The Chief Executive Member (CEM). The CEM is like the chief minister while other members differ in portfolios which include finance, education, health, and others.
  • Legislative Wing: The legislative functions are vested upon the council members who have a right to legislate on subjects listed under the Sixth Schedule which may include land management, forest, and public health.
  • Judicial Wing: At the same, these councils are bestowed with some judicial powers which enables the councils to constitute Village Councils and District Courts to adjudicate the issues according to customary law.
  • Secretary and Administrative Staff: These councils are also supported with a secretariat and other administrative staff who would assist their work and would keep the records properly.

Read the article on the Impact of urbanization and industrialization on tribal populations!

Powers & Functions of Autonomous District Councils

The functions of ADCs are quite different and oriented to the all round development of the tribal areas:

  • Legislative Functions: The ADCs are empowered to enact laws on matters included in the Sixth Schedule, concerning land, forest, water resources, agriculture, and social customs.
  • Executive Functions: The ADCs execute developmental schemes and projects, carry out welfare programs, and administer the administration in their respective jurisdictions. They are also concerned with the management of local markets, roads, and infrastructure development.
  • Judicial Role: ADCs can institute village councils and district courts for the trial and disposal of disputes under customary laws and usages.
  • Socio-economic Development Role: They play a very important role in the social and economic development within their areas, with a special emphasis on issues to do with education, health, development of agriculture, and the preservation of culture.
  • Revenue Collection: They can also collect revenues by levying taxation on professions, trades, entertainment, and on the consumption of article-producing industries.

Read the article on Unrest among tribal communities!

Major Issues Associated with Autonomous District Councils

Though many of the envisaged benefits support the ADCs, a significant number of issues have plagued them:

  • Lack of Sufficient Financial Resources: The majority of the ADCs face a deficiency in financial resources. It restrains them from executing projects and providing even their services to their maximum potential.
  • Administrative Conflicts: There exist numerous instances of overlapping authority disputes between state governments and ADCs. This leaves scope for both administrative time lags and duplications.
  • Uneven Autonomy: The extent of autonomy that ADCs enjoy may be uneven. This, in a number of cases, has been violated by the state or central government or has interfered in those subjects.
  • Corruption and Mismanagement: If corruption and favoritism exist in ADCs linked with poor governance practices, it might hinder the working of ADCs.
  • Inadequate Infrastructure: Basic infrastructure and administrative capabilities are inadequate to perform the functions of ADCs effectively in implementing the development projects.
  • Lack of Awareness: Many tribal communities do not know the powers and functions of the ADCs. This would have resulted in the underutilization of available resources and initiatives.

Read the article on the Programmes of tribal development and their implementation!

Measures to be Taken for the Proper Functioning of ADCs

Several steps can be undertaken to improve the efficiency of ADCs:

  • Increased Financial Assistance: More suitable budgetary provisions and seek alternative funding arrangements for ensuring adequate financial resources.
  • Capacity Building: Organize training sessions and workshops for the council members and administrative staff to develop their governance and management skills.
  • Well-defined legislative framework: Clearly defining and streamlining the roles and responsibilities of ADCs in relation with the state governments will avoid administrative overlaps.
  • Transparency and accountability: Establish good transparency and accountability mechanisms to minimize cases of corruption and promote efficient means of governance.
  • Infrastructure development: Invest in the development of proper infrastructure for connectivity and also health and education services in the ADC areas.
  • Community sensitization: Sensitize the community and increase their participation in governance through information campaigns and participation programs.
  • Technological adoption: Technology can be better incorporated in service delivery, in areas related to administrative efficiency, and in citizen engagement.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation: Systematic monitoring and evaluation frameworks are set up that can gauge performance and impacts of ADCs by indicators.

Download the Key Takeaways PDF for Autonomous District Councils!

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Autonomous District Council UPSC FAQs

States like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram have Autonomous District Councils.

ADCs have legislative, executive, and judicial powers over specified matters such as land, agriculture, and social customs within their jurisdictions.

ADCs were created to preserve the cultural heritage and traditional practices of tribal communities while promoting their socio-economic development.

Major challenges include limited financial resources, administrative overlaps, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure.

Enhancing financial support, capacity building, infrastructure development, and ensuring transparency and accountability can improve their functioning.

Yes, ADCs can establish courts to adjudicate disputes based on customary laws.

The Sixth Schedule provides a framework for the creation and functioning of ADCs, ensuring self-governance and protection of tribal areas.

Autonomous District Councils are self-governing bodies established for the administration of tribal areas in India under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Assam has a total of 3 Administrative Councils.
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