Bodoland Territorial Council
Also called: BTC · Topic: Special Provisions, Scheduled and Tribal Areas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is an autonomous council for the Bodo areas of Assam, set up under the Sixth Schedule (Art. 244(2)). The Sixth Schedule lets tribal areas in four North-Eastern states run many of their own affairs through elected councils. The BTC was created in 2003, and the 2020 Bodo Accord gave it more area and more powers. It shows how the Sixth Schedule can be used as a tool for peace: a movement for a separate homeland is settled through self-rule inside the state.
Example
The 2020 Bodo Accord between the Union, the Assam government and Bodo groups enlarged the BTC's area and added to its powers. It was one of several North-East accords that used Sixth Schedule councils to end long-running unrest.
Don't confuse with
- Gorkhaland Territorial Administration: a self-governing body for the Darjeeling hills created only by a West Bengal state law. It is not a Sixth Schedule body, but the BTC is.
Related concepts
- Sixth Schedule
- Autonomous district council
- Autonomous regional council
- Bordoloi Sub-committee
- Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council