Dhebar Commission
Also called: Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission (1960-61) · Topic: Special Provisions, Scheduled and Tribal Areas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Dhebar Commission is also known as the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission. It was set up in 1960-61 and was chaired by U.N. Dhebar. It was the first commission appointed under Article 339, which lets the President set up a commission to report on how Scheduled Areas are run and on the welfare of Scheduled Tribes. Its best-known work is the set of criteria (tests) for declaring an area a Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule.
Example
The Dhebar criteria for a Scheduled Area are:
- a mainly tribal population;
- a compact area;
- a workable administrative unit;
- marked economic backwardness.
These tests are still used when the President declares or changes Scheduled Areas.
Don't confuse with
- Bhuria Commission (2002-04): also set up under Article 339, but much later.
- Bhuria Committee (1994-95): the committee whose report led to the PESA Act 1996.
Related concepts
- Excluded and partially excluded areas
- Thakkar Sub-committee
- Fifth Schedule
- Scheduled Areas
- Tribes Advisory Council