सं Samvidhan

The Constitution of India

Article 371C

Special provision with respect to the State of Manipur

(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the President may, by order made with respect to the State of Manipur, provide for the constitution and functions of a committee of the Legislative Assembly of the State consisting of members of that Assembly elected from the Hill Areas of that State, for the modifications to be made in the rules of business of the Government and in the rules of procedure of the Legislative Assembly of the State and for any special responsibility of the Governor in order to secure the proper functioning of such committee.

(2) The Governor shall annually, or whenever so required by the President, make a report to the President regarding the administration of the Hill Areas in the State of Manipur and the executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of directions to the State as to the administration of the said areas.

Explanation.—In this article, the expression “Hill Areas” means such areas as the President may, by order, declare to be Hill areas.

Why this exists

Manipur, merged into India in 1949, has a valley region (dominated by the Meitei community) and surrounding hill regions inhabited largely by Naga and Kuki-Zo tribal communities with distinct customs, land systems, and political concerns. When Manipur became a full state in 1972, there was anxiety that hill peoples' interests could be overridden by valley-majority politics in the Assembly. Article 371C was added (by the 27th Amendment, 1971) to guarantee hill representatives a formal institutional voice — the Hill Areas Committee — and to keep the Union/Governor directly watching over hill administration, similar in spirit to other special provisions for northeastern and tribal areas.

How courts read it

There is relatively limited landmark Supreme Court jurisprudence specifically interpreting 371C compared to some other special provisions. Courts and commentators have generally treated the Governor's 'special responsibility' under this Article as a discretionary, Union-linked function distinct from ordinary state cabinet advice, comparable to similar special responsibilities found in other special-provision Articles (e.g., for Nagaland or Sikkim). Disputes have more often played out politically and administratively — over how effective the Hill Areas Committee actually is, and over demarcation of Hill Areas — than through major constitutional litigation.

Common misconceptions
  • Myth: Article 371C gives the Hill Areas of Manipur full autonomy or self-government.
    Fact: It only guarantees a legislative committee mechanism, procedural safeguards, and Governor/Union oversight — it does not create an autonomous or separate government for the hill areas.
  • Myth: The 'Hill Areas' are permanently and constitutionally defined.
    Fact: Per the Explanation, Hill Areas are only those regions the President specifically declares by order — the definition can change through presidential orders, not fixed constitutional text.