Article 371B: Special Provisions for Assam and Manipur

Assam Manipur provisions under Articles 371B and 371C of the Constitution create special legislative and administrative arrangements for the tribal and hill populations of these two north-eastern states. Article 371B applies to Assam and Article 371C applies to Manipur — the two are separate provisions, often studied together because both fall under the same cluster of special and temporary provisions in Part XXI of the Constitution.

Where These Provisions Sit in the Constitution

Part XXI of the Constitution, titled "Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions," runs from Article 369 to Article 392. Within this part, Articles 371 to 371J deal with special arrangements for individual states — Maharashtra and Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Karnataka each have a distinct clause tailored to that state's specific social or historical circumstances. Article 371B and Article 371C are two entries in this list, addressing Assam and Manipur respectively.

Article 371B: Special Provision for Assam

Article 371B empowers the President to provide, by order, for the constitution and functioning of a committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly. This committee is to consist of Assembly members elected from the tribal areas of the state — specifically the areas listed in Part I of the table appended to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — along with any other members of the Assembly that the President's order may specify.

The provision also allows the President's order to modify the rules of procedure of the Assam Legislative Assembly so that this tribal-areas committee can be properly constituted and can function. In effect, Article 371B gives Assam's tribal areas a guaranteed voice inside the state legislature through a dedicated committee mechanism, linking the arrangement directly to the Sixth Schedule's list of tribal areas.

Article 371C: Special Provision for Manipur

Article 371C follows a similar logic for Manipur but with an additional executive dimension. It empowers the President to provide, by order, for the constitution and functioning of a committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly consisting of members elected from the Hill Areas of the state. The order may also modify the rules of business of the state government and the rules of procedure of the Legislative Assembly, so that this Hill Areas committee can be properly constituted and can function.

Unlike Article 371B, Article 371C goes further by casting a special responsibility on the Governor of Manipur to secure the proper functioning of this Hill Areas committee. The Governor is required to submit an annual report to the President on the administration of the Hill Areas in Manipur, and must also report whenever the President specifically calls for one. This gives the Union government a continuing channel of information on how the state is administering its hill regions.

Why Assam and Manipur Received These Provisions

The broader rationale for special provisions in the north-eastern states — including Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram — is the presence of a sizeable indigenous tribal population with a distinct history and culture that these communities wish to preserve. Rather than applying a single uniform legislative and administrative structure across the country, the Constitution allows such states differentiated arrangements suited to their social composition.

At the same time, this asymmetry in India's federal design has not been free of controversy. Critics of special provisions argue that a strictly equal division of powers should apply to every state, and there is also a recurring concern that carving out separate arrangements for certain regions could feed separatist sentiment rather than resolve it. Supporters counter that recognising genuine social and historical differences is necessary to keep diverse regions integrated within the Union rather than alienated from it.

Article 371B vs Article 371C: Key Differences

Aspect	Article 371B (Assam)	Article 371C (Manipur)
Area of focus	Tribal areas listed in Part I of the Sixth Schedule table	Hill Areas of Manipur
Legislative mechanism	Committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly	Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly
Membership basis	Members elected from the specified tribal areas, plus others as specified	Members elected from the Hill Areas
Rules that may be modified	Rules of procedure of the Assam Assembly	Rules of business of the state government and rules of procedure of the Assembly
Role of the Governor	No special gubernatorial responsibility specified	Special responsibility on the Governor to secure the committee's functioning
Reporting to the President	Not specified	Governor must submit an annual report (or when required) on Hill Areas administration

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

• Article 371B and 371C fall under Part XXI (Articles 369–392), the "Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions" part of the Constitution.
• Article 371B relates to Assam's tribal areas (linked to the Sixth Schedule); Article 371C relates to Manipur's Hill Areas — a frequently tested distinction.
• Only Article 371C among the two casts a special responsibility on the Governor with an annual reporting requirement to the President.
• The full run of state-specific provisions spans Article 371 to 371J, covering Maharashtra/Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka.

Mains

• Discuss how Articles 371B and 371C reflect asymmetric federalism in India, and evaluate whether such differentiated treatment strengthens or weakens national integration in the north-east.
• Examine the balance between recognising regional/tribal identity and maintaining uniformity of governance structures across states.

FAQ

Q1. What is the difference between Article 371B and Article 371C? Article 371B applies to Assam and provides for a Legislative Assembly committee representing the state's tribal areas under the Sixth Schedule. Article 371C applies to Manipur and provides for a Legislative Assembly committee representing the Hill Areas, with an added special responsibility on the Governor and an annual report to the President.

Q2. Does Article 371B cover Manipur as well? No. Article 371B is specific to Assam. Manipur's special provision is a separate article, Article 371C.

Q3. What is the "tribal areas" reference in Article 371B? It refers to the areas listed in Part I of the table appended to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Q4. What special role does the Governor of Manipur have under Article 371C? The Governor has a special responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of the Hill Areas committee of the Legislative Assembly and must report annually to the President on the administration of the Hill Areas, or whenever the President requires such a report.

Q5. Why do north-eastern states like Assam get special constitutional provisions? Because of their sizeable indigenous tribal populations with a distinct history and culture that these states wish to preserve, the Constitution allows differentiated legislative and administrative arrangements rather than a uniform structure applied to every state.

Quick Revision

• Article 371B – Assam – Legislative Assembly committee for tribal areas (Sixth Schedule, Part I list).
• Article 371C – Manipur – Legislative Assembly committee for Hill Areas.
• Only Article 371C gives the Governor a special responsibility and annual reporting duty to the President.
• Both provisions fall under Part XXI (Articles 369–392) alongside Articles 371 to 371J for other states.
• Rationale: sizeable tribal population, distinct history and culture in the north-east.

Sources

• Constitution of India — full text, Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department)
• Constitution of India, Sixth Schedule and Part XXI — India Code

Further Reference

For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:

• M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
• D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
• The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.

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