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UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Paper 1, question 57

Topic: Polity and governance

Q57

Consider the following statements about the provisions pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in India :

  1. Provisions regarding the administration of the Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are given in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

  2. Some tribes of India are entitled to exemption from paying Income Tax on certain incomes.

  3. The Constitution of India provides for reservation of seats in Panchayats for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct ?

  1. (a) There are two correct statements, that include statement 2.Correct answer
  2. (b) There are two correct statements, that are statements 1 and 3.
  3. (c) There is only one correct statement.
  4. (d) All three statements are correct.

Solution.

Answer: (a) There are two correct statements, that include statement 2.

  1. Statement 1 is incorrect: the administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram is governed by the Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)), not the Fifth Schedule.
  2. Statement 2 is correct: under Section 10(26) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, members of Scheduled Tribes residing in specified Sixth Schedule areas, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Ladakh are exempt from income tax on income accruing within those areas.
  3. Statement 3 is correct: Article 243D(2) of the Constitution mandates that not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women belonging to the SCs or STs.