Consider the following statements regarding the application of Directive Principles of State Policy and tribal rights in Arunachal Pradesh: 1. Article 40 mandates organizing village panchayats, which led to the enactment of the Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act. 2. Customary laws and traditional tribal judicial practices of indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh are completely superseded by the Code of Civil Procedure without exception. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because Article 40 directs the state to organize village panchayats as units of self-government, which was implemented in Arunachal Pradesh through local panchayati raj legislation. Statement 2 is incorrect because customary laws and traditional village councils, such as the Kebang among the Adi community, continue to hold legal validity and are respected in civil and minor criminal matters under statutory exceptions. Arunachal Pradesh maintains distinct administrative arrangements to preserve indigenous heritage.