Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India

Essentially, the tribes governed themselves via their traditional systems, except for being asked to participate in the imperial interests such as taxation and road-building.

The tribal areas in other parts of India were covered by a parallel Fifth Schedule with somewhat weaker forms of autonomy.

[3] Manipur and Tripura, having been princely states separate from the province of Assam, did not obtain the benefit of the Sixth Schedule, even though similar considerations might have applied to them.

[5] However minority tribal districts in these states were granted the Sixth Schedule provisions in course of time.

The state of Tripura formed an autonomous district council for its tribal areas in 1982 and requested that they be brought under the Sixth Schedule, which was granted in 1984.