Why in news?
Union Home Minister told that Centre won’t dilute Article 371
Background/details
- Most of the States that have been accorded special provisions under Article 371 are in the northeast and the special status aims to preserve their tribal culture.
- Article 371(A) states that no act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland in respect of the religious or social practices of the Nagas, its customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law and ownership and transfer of land and its resources.
- It shall apply to Nagaland only after the State Assembly passes a resolution to do so, it says.
- Article 371(A) states that land and its resources in the State belong to the people and not the government.
- Article 371B deals with special provision with respect to the State of Assam.
- The main objective of inserting Article 371B was to facilitate the creation of the sub-State ‘Meghalaya’.
- Article 371C deals with special provisions with respect to Manipur which became a State in 1972.
- Special provisions with respect to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa are dealt in Articles 371D and 371E, 371J, 371I respectively.
- Article 371-G that deals with special provisions with respect to Mizoram has similar nature.
- It states that an act of Parliament relating to religious and social practices of Mizo customary law and procedure, administration of civil or criminal justice involving decisions according to Mizo customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources will not apply to Mizoram unless State assembly decides to do so.
- Articles 371F, 371H talk about special provisions with respect to States of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, respectively.
- Article 371 gives the power to the President of India to establish separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and the rest of the State and Saurashtra, Kutch and rest of Gujarat.
