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Article 371C

Hill Areas Committee and Gubernatorial Oversight in Manipur

Official heading: “Special provision with respect to the State of Manipur”

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Source edition
The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
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Part XXI, Article 371C, printed pages 235–236
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1. In One Sentence

Provides for a Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and gives the Governor special responsibility to ensure its proper functioning.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Inserted by the Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1971 when Manipur was elevated to full statehood, Article 371C addresses the distinct geographical and demographic divide between the Imphal Valley and the Hill Areas.

Clause (1) authorizes the President to establish a Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly consisting of members elected from the Hill Areas.

Clause (2) imposes a special responsibility on the Governor of Manipur to ensure the proper functioning of the Hill Areas Committee, requiring the Governor to report annually to the President on the administration of the Hill Areas.

The Union executive possesses constitutional authority to issue directions to the State Government regarding the administration of the Hill Areas.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A proposed state enactment altering municipal land zoning in Manipur’s hill districts is submitted to the Hill Areas Committee for scrutiny.

Core takeaway: Under Article 371C, elected legislators from the hill areas must examine legislation affecting tribal hill populations.
Illustrative Notice: The Governor holds an overarching special responsibility and reports directly to the President regarding hill governance.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 371C institutionalizes balanced governance between valley and hill communities in Manipur.

  • Hill Areas Committee: Composed of MLAs representing designated hill constituencies.
  • Governor’s annual report: Mandates an annual report to the President on hill area governance.
  • Union directive authority: The Union executive can issue directives to the State Government regarding hill administration.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(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 procedure of that Assembly for the constitution and proper functioning of such committee 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.
Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata
  • •
    Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
    Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XXI, Article 371C, printed pages 235–236 • Human source-link check pending

    Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource

Related Constitutional Articles to Explore:

Go to ARTICLE 371A →Go to ARTICLE 371B →Go to ARTICLE 371G →