Chhattisgarh's Fifth Schedule Areas under the PESA Act

State Focus Chhattisgarh Polity Polity & Governance

Chhattisgarh's Fifth Schedule Areas under the PESA Act

Background

Areas with significant tribal populations are designated as Scheduled Areas by the President of India in terms of Article 244 of the Constitution.
The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 came into force because the 73rd Amendment did not apply to tribal Scheduled Areas automatically.
As per the PIB backgrounder of 22 December 2025, 10 states have Fifth Scheduled Areas, Chhattisgarh among them.
In Chhattisgarh these cover 9,977 villages, 5,050 panchayats and 85 blocks, with 13 districts fully covered and 6 partially covered.
Chhattisgarh is among the eight states that have framed their PESA Rules; the backgrounder cites the Chhattisgarh PESA Rules 2022 in the case of a Gram Sabha in Kanker district.

Villages (as per PIB backgrounder, Dec 2025): 9,977 Panchayats: 5,050 Blocks: 85 Districts fully / partially covered: 13 / 6

Why it matters for exams: Scheduled Areas, Article 244 and PESA are core polity topics, and state-wise coverage figures make good numerical questions.

Kerala PSCUPSC

7 October 2026 Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Panchayati Raj

In plain words

PESA Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 — The Act that extends Panchayati Raj provisions to tribal Scheduled Areas and empowers tribal Gram Sabhas.